When Life Gives You
by eva-after
Summary: White just wanted to go on a journey, meet new Pokemon and help Professor Juniper complete the Pokedex. But life has a bad habit of throwing criminal organisations, crazy friends and family troubles in her way. *Following the Black/White games*
1. Ready, Set

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

**CHAPTER 1: Ready, Set...**

'_I'm gonna be the Champion, you wait and see!' I declared, pumping my fist in the air. _

_My brother grabbed my hand and yanked it down. 'No you aren't! Because I'm gonna be the Champion!' _

'_You couldn't beat me!' _

'_Could so!' _

'_Couldn't!' _

'_Could so!' _

_Our argument was broken up by a giggle. We both turned to look at my best friend, Em, who was also our neighbour, who was laughing at our sibling rivalry. 'No way you guys are gonna be champions.' She grinned. 'You'd have to beat me first.' _

_My brother and I instantly began squabbling with her. Over who was going to be the best, who was going to make it as Champion, who would be the first to start their journey. _

_Eventually we got tired of the argument. 'What if we were all champions?' Our neighbour said. _

'_That's silly. There's only one champion.' My brother said dismissively. _

'_But what if?' She insisted. 'What if we all made it and the three of us were champions together?' _

'_Let's do it.' I agreed happily. _

'_Alright.' My brother said begrudgingly. 'But I'll still be the best.' _

I woke up as the sunlight barely began seeping into my room. I rarely dreamt and it was even stranger that I would dream a memory. I lay in bed recalling those days. It was no surprise that I would dream of that particular conversation though, especially since today-

Today. Right.

A scream rendered through the air. Downstairs a woman chuckled. 'I was wondering when she would wake up.'

I leapt out of bed and ran downstairs. 'Mum, mum has it arrived?'

The woman smiled. 'Good morning White. Your package hasn't arrived yet. Why don't you eat breakfast and get changed while you wait?'

I sat down at the table heavily. 'I don't really feel like eating.'

'You will soon enough.' Mum replied. She put something down in front of me. 'At least eat a little toast.' I picked up the piece of bread but didn't eat it. 'Just relax, it'll come soon enough.'

I groaned. 'But I'm the last one to start my travels!'

'So you can wait a little longer.' Mum replied firmly. '_Eat_.'

When I finished, I changed into my usual outfit; denim shorts, white shirt and black vest. I went downstairs as Mum cleaned up. She looked up when I came in. 'You ready?' I nodded. She reached into a draw and pulled out a blue package.

My eyes widened. 'Mum! You said it hadn't arrived yet!'

She gave a sheepish grin. 'Professor Juniper came by earlier and dropped it off. But I knew you wouldn't take care of yourself if you knew your Pokémon had arrived so I hid it. I've called Bianca's and Cheren's mothers as well and they decided to do the same thing. They'll be over once they've eaten breakfast. Now take this up into your room.'

I made a face. Mum was pretty stubborn so there was no point in arguing with her. I took the box and ran into my bedroom. I'd promised Cheren and Bianca I'd wait for them before having a look at the Pokémon so I placed it on my table; holding it in my hands was too much of a temptation, despite the fact that I didn't want to let it go.

Waiting for my two friends to arrive, I opened up an email I'd received last year from my brother.

_Hey White!_

_Guess what! I received my first Pokémon today! I was given a choice between Piplup, Turtwig or Chimchar. We had some issues since Pearl, Diamond and Platinum were starting today as well but Professor Rowan got a revived Pokémon from an Armour Fossil, so Diamond got a Shieldon instead. I chose Piplup, Platinum (since he's in a rush all the time) got Chimchar and Pearl decided on Turtwig, since she says grass moves look good in contests-I don't really get it but whatever. Anyway, I'm about to leave but I thought I'd tell you before that, since I dunno when I'll next have access to a computer. Wish me luck! _

_Black._

I was staring at the screen when I heard a knock on my door. Turning around, I saw Cheren standing there. He pushed his glasses further up his nose. 'Researching?'

I shut down my laptop. 'Nah, just surfing.'

He indicated towards the box. 'Is that our Pokémon?' I nodded. Cheren went over to stare at it with hungry eyes. As Cheren continued to stare he began rattling off information, 'The three Pokémon here are Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott. Their types are grass, fire and water respectively. Now, their basic stats are…' I nodded whenever it seemed appropriate but gave up really listening. I didn't really care about their stats; I just wanted to meet them.

Eventually I realised he'd stopped talking about the Pokémon. He was glancing frequently at my door. 'What is it Cheren?'

He made a face. 'What's keeping Bianca?'

I gave a laugh. 'She's _always_ late. You know that.'

'Yeah but-'

At that moment Bianca barged into the room, panting. 'Am I a little late again? So-ooo-orry!'

Cheren scowled. 'Bianca…I've known for ten years that you have no sense of time, but…seriously…Today's the day we can get a Pokémon from Professor Juniper!'

Bianca had finally caught her breath. 'I know. Sorry White. Sorry Cheren.' She looked so guilty I was surprised Cheren didn't capitulate straight away. Mind you, I had only known her for three years while Cheren had known her for ten. He must've built up some defences during that time.

I was concerned for a different reason. 'Umm, Bianca? Are you planning to go on a Pokémon journey in a long white skirt?'

She cocked her head. 'Is there something wrong with it?' She asked innocently.

I sighed. 'Never mind.'

She bounced, now re-energized. 'So, where are the Pokémon?'

'Right here.' I got up and pointed to the package. Cheren and Bianca both came to stand next to me.

Bianca looked at it eagerly. 'They were delivered to White's house, so White gets first pick!' She called.

I was touched but I tried to reason with her. 'They only got delivered here because Mum knows Professor Oak. We all have right to chose first.'

Cheren shook his head. 'No, if Professor Juniper trusted you, you naturally get first choice.' I was surprised by Cheren; I thought he would latch onto a chance to choose first. He faced the box. 'The Pokémon are waiting for us inside that gift box. Ok, White, you go first and take a peek inside. I want to meet the Pokémon right now!'

Bianca gave me a little shove. 'Go on.'

A card lay on top of the box. It read:

_I've brought three Pokémon, one for you and one for each of your friends. Please settle your choices politely. Enjoy you Pokémon! _

_Professor Juniper_

I opened the lid and tossed it aside. I was trembling with excitement. Each of the Pokéballs were neatly labelled; Tepig, Snivy and Oshawott. Truthfully, when I woke up this morning I had no idea which Pokémon to choose; I was just planning on taking the one that Bianca and Cheren didn't want. But after reading my brother's email, I knew which Pokémon I wanted.

I picked up a Pokéball. 'This one.' I felt satisfied with my choice.

Bianca bounced forward. 'Then I'll take this one and Cheren, that one's yours!' She passed Cheren his Pokéball and took her own.

'Hey, how come you get to pick out my Pokémon?' Cheren demanded indignantly. I gave him a grin when I saw him gripping his Pokéball tightly though. He huffed. 'Oh, never mind. I wanted Snivy anyway.'

Bianca hugged her Pokéball enthusiastically. 'Everyone's chosen a Pokémon! Isn't this great?' She ran and grabbed me in a tight hug, Cheren dodging out of the way. She nearly suffocated me while I tried to signal Cheren for help. He just shook his head and gave me a smirk. She finally let go. 'Hey, I know! Let's have a Pokémon battle!'

I felt alarmed at her words but considering I was coughing after getting choked, I couldn't answer. 'Honestly, Bianca, even though they're still weak Pokémon, you shouldn't have Pokémon battles inside a house.' Cheren said.

'Don't be a worrywart Cheren!' She replied cheerfully. Oh no, I could sense disaster coming. 'You said it, these little ones are weak. We have to let them battle so they'll get stronger! Isn't that what you been telling me for years?'

'Well yes, but-'

'Besides, White doesn't mind, do you?' She asked. I shook my head. No, I very much _did _mind. 'See, she doesn't. It's settled. Get ready for a Pokémon battle!' She released her Tepig, who came out snorting and eager.

See, the thing about Bianca is that when she gets an idea into her mind she goes with it. She's a force to be reckoned with if you try and stop her. I used to be like that but nowadays, I'm much more passive and I sort of just let the flow of the moment carry me along. So with an eager Bianca facing me I felt like I had no choice. I released my Pokémon. 'Oshawott, are you ready to battle?' I asked croakily.

The little blue Pokémon, looked at me curiously then at its (I didn't know Oshawatt's gender yet) opponent. It bounced forward, letting out what I assumed was a battle cry. I took my own battle stance, impatiently brushing my hair out of my face.

_Black picked up the Nidoran, looking at it disparagingly. 'It doesn't look very strong.' _

_Em took Nidoran off him. 'That's because she's a baby. When she grows up a bit more, she'll be able to battle and get stronger.' _

'_Yeah but, how's it gonna get stronger if it doesn't know any attacks?' I asked._

'_She knows Growl and Scratch.' She replied. 'All Pokémon are born knowing some basic attacks like Tackle or Tail Whip. It's when they get more battle experience that they learn the fancy moves. At least, that's what Dad says.' _

Oshawott was still young. I knew its attacks would be limited. Bianca probably wouldn't know any of Tepig's either. I made a guess. 'Oshawott, use Tackle!'

Oshawott leapt forward and hit Tepig. Tepig stumbled back, falling over. Bianca fidgeted, not knowing what to do. 'Umm…umm…'

Cheren sighed. 'Tepig and Oshawott both know Tackle and Tail Whip at their level. They're too weak to know any other attacks.'

'Right, Tepig, use Tail Whip!' Bianca called.

Tepig charge forward and spun, using its tail to whack Oshawott over and over again in rapid succession. In the last hit, Oshawott stumbled backwards and knocked my bin over. It wasn't hurt but I remembered that Tail Whip lowered defence.

'Oshawott, Tackle again.' Oshawott charged forward, smashing into Tepig. Tepig went flying onto my bed, getting tangled in the sheets.

'Tackle!' Bianca cried.

Tepig eventually managed to get out of the sheets and charged in Oshawott. This time Oshawott went flying towards the wall. I reacted. 'Oshawott push of the wall and use Tackle!' Oshawott managed to spin and hit the wall hard, causing it to shake. It bounced off it and smashed straight into Tepig hard enough, that it rolled and smashed headfirst into the other wall. It staggered for a moment before fainting.

'Yes! We did it.' I punched my hand into the air in triumph. I swept Oshawott into a hug, congratulating it on its first victory. It cried happily in agreement. Bianca was crooning gently to Tepig, who was slowly regaining consciousness.

'Hey, girls. Look around.' Cheren had his I-told-you-so voice on.

We both looked at my room. It was a mess. Anything loose had moved and was scattered over the floor. Pokémon footprints covered the floor, leaving dirty stains everywhere, including my bed sheets. Somehow, my laptop, TV and gaming console had survived without a scratch, though my console had fallen over.

'Wh-whoa! What happened?' Bianca said in shock.

'You happened.' Cheren pointed out.

'Wow, Pokémon are amazing! So little but so strong! I'm so glad I have a Pokémon!' She said excitedly. Cheren gave her a look. '…Oh. White, I'm sorry about your room.'

I shrugged. 'Don't worry about it. I could've said no. Besides, you should've seen it when Black-' I stopped abruptly. I didn't really like talking about my brother. 'Anyway, I've seen worse messes.'

Cheren sighed and pulled something out of his pocket. He walked over to Tepig. 'You're hopeless.' He informed Bianca, who gave him a little grin. 'Here, this'll restore Tepig's health.' He sprayed the bottle on the Pokémon, who instantly looked re-energized.

I raised an eyebrow. 'Cheren, why are you carrying Potions when you only got your first Pokémon today?'

He gave me a condescending look. 'We're leaving on a journey later today. You never know when you need one.' He tossed me another Potion from his pocket. 'Use that on Oshawott.'

I caught the little bottle, shaking my head. I knelt down. 'Hey, little one. This'll make you feel better.' I sprayed Oshawott. It flinched slightly but its wounds began healing at once. 'That battle was awesome, the way we worked together.' Oshawott nodded its head in agreement.

'Hey Cheren, why don't you and White have a battle?' Bianca suggested. I looked up from healing Oshawott. 'You actually know what you're doing so it'll be an awesome battle!'

Cheren nodded eagerly. 'I've studied for Pokémon battles for years; it would be great to put my knowledge into practice. And I know enough that I can keep the room from getting any messier. What say you White?'

I hesitated. Oshawott had only just gotten healed. 'Well…'

'Oh come on, it's not fair you and Bianca got your first battle and I haven't had a go.'

I sighed. 'Alright, but only because you're my friend Cheren.' I looked at Oshawott. 'Come on; let's make it two in a row!' It chattered in excitement and leapt forward. Cheren let Snivy out, who seemed to sneer at Oshawott. Cheren was about to make the first call when I suddenly remembered. 'Hold it!' I scavenged at my table until I found a hairband, using it to tie my hair in a ponytail. 'Sorry, my hair kept getting in the way before.'

'Are you ready yet?' Cheren asked impatiently. I nodded. 'Alright, Snivy Tackle!'

I decided to try a new strategy this time. 'Oshawott, Tail Whip.'

Snivy got in first, hitting Oshawott so it fell over. Oshawott responded by flipping on its belly and performing Tail Whip, to weaken Snivy's Defence. 'Snivy, pull back.' Cheren called. Snivy backed off, waiting for Cheren's next order.

'Oshawott, Tackle!'

'You too, Snivy!'

Snivy hit Oshawott who stumbled back before responding in kind. The two pulled back again, eyeing each other warily. Snivy's speed was becoming a problem. I noticed where Oshawott was standing. 'Oshawott, move a little to the left.' Oshawott looked confused but moved as I said.

'Snivy, use Tackle!'

'Oshawott, hop back twice then Tackle!'

Snivy ran forward as Oshawott bounced back. As the grass type came forward, it ran over the loose rug. Its momentum caused the rug to shift and caused Snivy to slip and fall on its face. Oshawott, who'd jumped over the loose rug, now had a clear path, since the rug had moved with Snivy. It charged at its opponent, smashing it with a Tackle. Snivy reeled back.

'Quickly, Tackle again!' Oshawott responded to my call and hit Snivy a second time before the grass Pokémon could recover. It fell and fainted, tired from its battle.

Oshawott cried out in glee and ran over to hug my leg. I picked it up and placed it on my shoulder. It sat quite happily there, looking at the world.

Cheren recalled Snivy back into its Pokéball. 'I made a strange blunder in my first battle but this feeling I have…I'm finally a trainer.'

Bianca clapped in glee, Tepig snorting at her feet. 'I can't wait to start!'

'But first, we'd better apologise to your mum for the mess we made.' Cheren stated. He walked over and began to pull Bianca alongside him.

'Oh, I'd better come, huh?' Bianca returned Tepig to its Pokéball before Cheren pulled them both out.

After they left I took a moment to breathe. Oshawott chattered excitedly in my ear. I scratched it behind its ear. 'You know what little one? No matter what happens, we'll have the best adventure because we'll do it together.' It cheered in agreement. A huge grin broke on my face. I was now a trainer. I could _do_ this. I was feeling euphoric. I was feeling so excited that I grabbed a pink cap with a Pokéball on it and put it on my head. I grabbed my bag and hooked it on my shoulder. 'Let's start Oshawott!'

I ran out of my room and downstairs where I was forced to stop. Cheren and Bianca were in the middle of apologising to my mum for the mess we made. When Bianca offered to clean up though, mum just waved the offer aside. 'I'll take care of it later. Shouldn't you be on your way to meet Professor Juniper?'

'Yes, thank you! Please excuse us.' Cheren said politely. He tugged at Bianca's arm. 'Let's go thank the Professor.' He turned to me. 'We'll meet you in front of the Pokémon Research Lab.'

Bianca jumped. 'Oh, wait! I have to go home first. You guys go ahead, I'll catch up.' She turned to my mum. 'Thanks for having us over.' She and Cheren both left.

I went over and gave mum a hug. 'I'm really sorry for trashing my room mum.'

She simply laughed. 'Pokémon battles are lively aren't they? I could hear it from down here.' She gave me a soft smile. 'It reminds me of my first Pokémon battle. I lost it but it sure was thrilling. Cheren mentioned you won both of yours?' She gave a little laugh. 'You sure don't get your battling ability from me though.' Oshawott jumped up on mum's head, chattering. 'Oh, you should rest you Pokémon after a battle!'

Mum did her mum thing and helped Oshawott heal up. 'There, much better. Now Oshawott, I'm trusting you to keep my daughter safe ok?' The blue Pokémon nodded. She handed it back. 'Oshawott should go back in its Pokéball to rest a little more.' I nodded and returned it to its Pokéball.

Mum held her hand out. 'Don't forget your "cross-transceiver". I sent it to the company and they adjusted it so you can make long distance calls.' She gave me a smile. 'Don't forget to call me too and let me know how you're doing.'

'Of course!' Truthfully I didn't like the idea of leaving Mum by herself in this house but the only time I had suggested not going on a journey she had scolded me for being silly. 'I'll make you proud!'

'You've already made me proud.' I blushed. Mum was a kind and caring person but she generally showed that through action rather than words. 'Now, you're going to thank the Professor too, right? Better get going then!' She hustled me out the door.

I waved goodbye and jogged off to Professor Juniper's Lab, which was located at the corner of town. When I arrived, Cheren was waiting at the door, arms crossed, tapping his foot. He nodded in acknowledgement when I arrived. I leant on the sign in front of the lab.

We were there for ten minutes when Cheren burst out crossly, 'Oh where is Bianca? How is it she's never on time?'

I shrugged. 'Maybe she got distracted by the TV or something.' Cheren glared at me. 'Oooookay, I think I'll go look for her.' I jogged away from the cranky Cheren.

I got to Bianca's house and knocked on the front door. I waited for a bit but there was no answer. I tried again but still nothing. Pressing my ear to the door I heard muffled voices. Someone was definitely home then. I pushed the handle and found it unlocked. I quietly let myself in, 'Hello?'

My voice was drowned out by Bianca's dad screaming. 'No, no, a thousand times, NO!'

I took in the scene in front of me. Bianca and her father were at opposite sides of the room. She had her fists clenched and a rare angry expression was on her face. Her father looked equally angry, his face glowing red. They had clearly been having a yelling match for a while now, as both were attempting to catch their breaths.

'But…I'm a good trainer! I've got a Pokémon and everything! I'm going on this adventure! I'm not going to be your princess forever and I'm not staying locked up in the tower!' Bianca yelled and turned towards the door in a huff. She strode angrily towards it, almost bumping into me before she realised I was there. I must've looked really concerned because she said, 'Oh…It's ok….It's fine! I'll be waiting outside the lab for you, ok?' With that she walked out the door.

I finally noticed Bianca's mother standing in the kitchen. She came over to me. 'Hello White. Congratulations on getting a Pokémon.' She said cheerfully. She leant forward and whispered, 'He's just overprotective that's all. But all children have to go on adventures. Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll come to his senses eventually.'

'Damn it!' I jumped at Bianca's father's sudden yell. 'How could my daughter, who knows nothing of this world, go on an adventure? White, you have to help me stop her!'

'I…ah…well…I…' I didn't want to stop Bianca at all but neither did I want to draw her father's wrath.

'Sit down dear. You'll give yourself a heart attack if you keep yelling like this.' Bianca's mother went over to her husband. As she did, she waved her hand behind her back, signalling me to go. Reminding myself to thank her later, I took advantage of her distraction and slipped outside.

I took a breath to steady myself before remembering how mad Cheren was before. I sprinted over to the lab where Bianca, who had only arrived a few moments ago, was scolded by Cheren. She had her usual smile on her face. I stop to catch my breath as Cheren finished his lecture on punctuality. He turned to me. I braced myself for a lecture. 'Ok. Let's go meet the Professor.'

I blinked, slightly off-balance. 'Uh…yeah…yeah, let's go!'

Cheren headed in first, Bianca right at his heels. After taking a breath to calm myself I went in. Cheren and Bianca were standing awkwardly in front of Professor Juniper. 'Hi Professor.' I greeted. I was the only one of us who had actually met the Professor before.

Professor Juniper smiled. 'Good morning White. It's good to see you.' She turned to my friends. 'Hi there, I've been waiting for you young people! White's told me all about you. Let me introduce myself. My name is-'

'Professor Juniper? We know your name.' Cheren interrupted. I elbowed him for his rudeness.

The Professor didn't look offended. 'Come, come Cheren! Now's not a time to be taking things lightly. Today is a day to remember always, so it's best to behave with some formality.' She chided gently. Cheren looked down and muttered something that might've been an apology. I made a mental note to tell the Professor that Cheren rarely apologised, so this was already a big deal.

She cleared her throat. 'Now, that being so, once again, I am Professor Juniper, and I focus on researching when and how the creatures called Pokémon came into existence. If you could hold out your Pokéballs containing the Pokémon you've chosen?'

We all held them out in front of us. She looked at each closely. 'How unusual! You've already had a Pokémon battle! Most adventurers wait until after they've left their hometown! Of course, most people don't have their close friends starting at the same time. It might be the reason why your Pokémon have already started to trust you.'

'You can tell?' Bianca gasped.

Professor Juniper smiled at her. 'I'm not a Pokémon researcher for nothing. By the way, would you like to give your Pokémon a nickname?'

'I'll pass on something so trivial.' Cheren stated, pushing his glasses up his nose.

'I thought you had to call Pokémon by their names.' Bianca looked puzzled.

'Well, some trainer chose to give their Pokémon nicknames for several reasons.' Professor Juniper explained. 'To help distinguish them from others of their species, to help build friendly relations between trainer and Pokémon or to show affection to their Pokémon, for example. It doesn't really matter if you do or don't.'

'Hmm….' Bianca thought for a moment. She grasped Tepig's Pokéball. 'I'll call Tepig, Tep.' She decided.

'What about you White?' Professor Juniper turned to me.

'I'll think on it a bit longer.'

She nodded. 'That's fine but don't leave it too late. Otherwise your Pokémon will be so used to you calling it by its species' name that it won't recognise any nickname you might give it.'

She clapped her hands together. 'Now, as for the reason why I gave you all Pokémon…'

'It's for the Pokédex, right?' Cheren said confidently.

'Pokédex?' Bianca asked.

'It's a Pokémon encyclopaedia.' I explained. 'Pokédexes give you information about the species that can be seen in any particular region. In the hands of a trainer, it automatically records information of Pokémon the trainer encounters.'

Professor Juniper nodded. 'I know you already knew about the Pokédex White but Cheren, nice work. You've obviously studied Pokémon extensively.'

Cheren nodded, proud of himself. 'There's been a Pokédex completed for all regions except for Unova, so I assumed you offered Pokémon to us so we could help compile a Pokédex for this region.'

'That's right. That's my request.' Professor Juniper smiled. 'You three, are you willing to go on an adventure to meet all of Unova's Pokémon and complete the Pokédex?'

'Of course Professor.' Cheren replied.

'Ok…I mean, yes Professor!' Bianca grinned.

I simply nodded my head. I had discussed this earlier with Professor Juniper, so she already knew my answer.

'Professor, thank you very much. Because of your gift I can become a trainer, just like I've always wanted.' Cheren said sincerely.

She smiled. 'I should be thanking you for helping me with my research.' Out of her lab coats she pulled out three devices. She handed one to each of us. 'And here are the Pokédexes. Keep them safe.'

I took mine, staring at it for a moment. Smiling, I put it into my bag. _Following a family legacy, huh?_

'Next, I need to teach you how to meet Pokémon. Meet me at Route 1.' Professor Juniper headed out the door.

There was silence for a bit. It was broken by Bianca who looked a little nervous. 'S-since the Professor asked us, it's ok to go on an adventure, right?' I knew she was thinking of her father at that moment. There was another pause. 'I can explore and maybe find out what I want to do with my life.'

'Of course it's fine.' I replied. 'Anyway, we're twelve. I think it's ok if we're not exactly sure what we want to do.'

'Yeah but…Cheren knows he wants to be Champion and it makes me feel a bit left behind since he knows exactly what he wants.' Bianca whispered.

I looked at Cheren to see his reaction and found he wasn't listening. 'We can travel however we want to complete the Pokédex.' He said. I wasn't sure if he was speaking to us or just talking out loud.

I rolled my eyes and walked out the door. I stopped in surprise when I saw my mum waiting outside. Bianca called to wait up and she ran into me, making me stumble. I turned to see Cheren and Bianca coming out of the lab. They looked equally surprised to see my mum and came to stand next to me.

'There you are! What did the Professor have to say?' Mum asked cheerfully.

Bianca explained about the Pokédex. Mum congratulated us all, though she had already known what Professor Juniper was going to ask us. Well, not that Bianca and Cheren knew (actually Cheren might've suspected). She pulled something out of her apron. 'Well, since you're on a journey I brought you three some Town Maps. Take them with you!'

'Thanks Mum!' Bianca and Cheren echoed me as we all put out Town Maps away. I was grinning; Mum was the best.

'With Pokémon at your side, you'll be safe wherever you go!' I felt Cheren and Bianca listening intently to mum. Unlike their parents, they knew Mum had been a travelling trainer when she was young. 'I'll let your parents know!' Bianca breathed a sigh of relief. Mum reached over and tugged my hat, smiling in affection. 'I hope that, in addition to Pokémon, you'll find lots and lots of places you like in Unova-and you'll grow into wonderful adults!' She pulled me into a hug, smiling at Cheren and Bianca when she let me go. 'Have a great trip, all of you!' With that, mum walked off.

I watched Mum go as Bianca and Cheren discussed the Town Map. I was a little sad I wouldn't see her for a while. Suddenly Bianca was tugging at my arm. 'Let's go, let's go! She laughed. She ran off, Cheren close behind.

I was a little confused until I remembered the Professor on Route 1. 'Hey guys, wait up!'

* * *

><p><em>So here I go...<em>

_This chapter's mainly intro, so nothing special really happens. Next chapter is when things start rolling so please be patient! _

_You may recognise the dialogue. A lot of it's taken directly from the game. But don't worry...I'll be changing it up next chapter (again, please be patient!). _

_Don't really have much else to say at this point. But thanks for reading!_


	2. Go! Day one, Complete!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape or form.

**CHAPTER 2: ...Go! Day One, Complete!**

* * *

><p>I caught up to my friends who were standing at the edge of town. Bianca grabbed my hand, dragged me over and grabbed Cheren's hand with her free hand. 'Come on; let's take our first step together!'<p>

'What?' I looked to Cheren for explanation.

'Bianca thinks since we're all starting our adventures together, we should take our first step together.' He shrugged. 'I don't mind but we'd better hurry. We don't want to keep the Professor waiting.'

'On the count of three then!' Bianca said cheerfully. 'One…two…three!' We took our first step together. I burst out laughing, feeling a bit silly. 'Come on White, don't ruin the mood.' I tried to muffle my giggles as we walked along. 'Didn't the Professor say something about formality at the start of a journey? You know Cheren and I have never been out of Nuvema Town before.' I instantly felt guilty. I'd lived in another region until I was nine and even then, mum would occasionally take me out to White Forest to visit some distant relatives.

Before I could apologise, Cheren pointed out the Professor, who was standing at the edge of a patch of grass. When we reached her, she took us in, demonstrating how to capture a wild Pokémon. Mum had once shown me how in White Forest, so I tuned out, though I watched as she went through the motions. I realised that I didn't actually know too much about Professor Juniper's Pokémon so I pulled out my Pokédex to record the information. _Minccino, Normal Type, attempting to capture Patrat, also a Normal Type. In terms of levels though, Minccino is much stronger. _The professor quickly captured the Pokémon and wrapped up her demonstration. To my surprise, the Professor gave us some Pokéballs to take with us. I echoed Bianca and Cheren's thank you.

As the Professor went ahead to Accumula Town, Cheren turned to us. 'She forgot to mention that Pokémon jump at you in tall grass.'

I rolled my eyes at the obvious bit of information but it looked as if Bianca needed it. Bianca nodded. 'Ok, let's go.'

'Hang on; I think it's time we split.' I jumped in. 'We all want to go on individual journeys so we should go our separate ways.'

Cheren nodded. 'Besides, now is a good time to train. Alright, I'll meet you in Accumula Town.'

'Me too! I'm looking forward to the next town so I can go shopping for Pokéballs!' Bianca bounced in excitement. 'I know, let's have a competition! Let's see who can catch the most Pokémon. The one at the end of Route 1 who has the most Pokémon, including their starter, wins!'

Cheren looked impressed by this idea. 'That actually sounds interesting. Ok, you're on!'

I shrugged. 'Why not? Sounds like fun.'

'Tep and I will do the best!' Bianca called before running into the grass. Cheren wasn't too far behind her.

I pulled out Oshawott's Pokéball and released the Pokémon. Oshawott jumped up and down, excited to see me. I scanned the Pokédex. 'So you're a boy!' He chattered in acknowledgement. 'Hmm…you know what, I'll call you Triton. You're a water Pokémon and Triton was a water god. But more than that he was a herald. And you're the herald for our big adventure. What do you think?'

Oshawott jumped up and down in agreement, nodding his head. 'Alright, I dub thee Triton!' I joked around. I put him on my shoulder. 'Let's get going.'

I headed through the grass. Out jumped a Patrat. 'Triton, hit it with Tackle!' Triton leapt off my shoulder and smashed into the Patrat. It stumbled back. 'Again!' Triton hit it with another Tackle before the Patrat fainted. 'Oops, too strong. Maybe capturing is harder than I thought.' Triton looked a bit upset. 'Oh Triton, it's not your fault. I was the one giving the orders. I underestimated your strength.' He looked more cheerful at the thought. 'Come on, let's find another Pokémon.'

We managed to walk through the rest of the grass without another Pokémon attacking us. When we emerged to the other side we saw a stretch of road, heading through another patch of grass. In between it was another patch to the side of the road. 'Let's head in there first before we go along the rest of the road.' I looked down at Triton to find the Pokémon gone. 'Triton? Triton, where are you?' I looked around in panic.

I heard some happy cries down the bottom of the steps and I ran down them to find the Oshawott swimming and splashing around in a little alcove of water. I breathed a sigh of relief. 'Triton, don't run off without telling me. You had me worried.' I scolded gently. It chattered and apology and began climbing out of the water. 'It's alright; you can stay a little longer.' It squealed happily and dived back in. I sat down. 'You know Triton, I chose you because you were a water Pokémon, just like Piplup. I thought that if I chose you, I could be closer to my brother. I haven't seen him for a while. He started his journey last year and from what he said, he got into all sorts of trouble. But he said that it was the best because he had Sailor (that's the name he gave his Piplup) with him the whole time…' I trailed off, remembering several emails I'd received from Black praising Sailor. Triton came over and patted my leg. I looked down and him to see him put his hands on his hips, showing off and giving me a nod. I giggled. 'Are you saying you'll stick with me?' Triton nodded again and gave my leg a hug. I laughed. 'You're the best Triton! Now come on, we've gotta catch up to Bianca and Cheren!'

Triton at my side, I ran into a patch of grass. Straight away, I accidentally bumped into someone. 'I'm sorry! I didn't see you!'

The woman simply laughed. 'Don't worry about it.' She spied Triton. 'You're a trainer? Be sure to watch out for your Pokémon's health. You don't want them fainting on the road. I know, have this!' She shoved a potion in my hand. 'You can buy more in Accumula Town but it doesn't hurt to have a potion spare here! Good luck on your journey.' With that she disappeared into the grass.

I shared a look with Triton before moving on. We hadn't been walking long when another Patrat jumped out at us. Triton leapt forward, ready to battle. 'Triton, use Tail Whip!' Triton spun and whacked Patrat a few times with his tail, weakening its defence. Patrat used the opportunity to smash into Triton for a hit, who stumbled a little. 'Now use Tackle!' He smashed into Patrat, sending it back a few steps. I took out a Pokéball. 'Let's catch us a Pokémon!' I threw the Pokéball at Patrat. Patrat went inside for a moment before bursting out again. _Ok then, we've gotta weaken it some more._ 'Tackle, once more!' Triton, who had leapt back when I threw the Pokéball, slammed into Patrat once more. His enthusiasm sent extra power into the attack causing a critical hit and knocking the Patrat out.

I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand. 'Oh man. So much for catching a Pokémon.' Triton tugged at my leg. 'What's up Triton?' Triton opened his mouth and shot a jet of water into another patch of grass. I blinked in surprise. I picked up Triton, lifting him up high. 'Congrats Triton! I can't believe you've learnt Water Gun already!' As I brought him back down, the sunlight reflected off my Xtransceiver. Squinting at it, I saw the time. I yelped. 'We should get going! We don't want to keep Professor Juniper waiting!' Setting Triton on my shoulder I ran out of this patch of grass, along the road and into the grass patch up ahead.

The moment I stepped in I tripped over and fell flat on my face. 'Ow…' I looked behind me to see a small Pokémon knocked over because of me. 'I'm sorry.' I said to the Pokémon and attempted to get closer, to see if it was alright. It nearly bit my hand when Triton ran in front of me, yelling at the other Pokémon. It leapt back, ready for battle. I quickly took my Pokédex out. _Lillipup, Normal Type. Puppy Pokémon. It reminds me of a Growlithe, only without the fire. _'Ok Triton, smash it with Water Gun.' Triton shot a jet of water at the Pokémon, knocking it back. It got up unsteadily swaying on its feet. It Leered at Triton, causing Triton to cower back a little and lowering his defence. The Lillipup stumbled even from that action. Taking out another Pokéball I threw it at the Lillipup. Holding my breath I watched it sway three times before there was the satisfying _click_!

I cheered, Triton cheering alongside me. I hurried over and scooped the Pokéball up. 'Finally caught my first Pokémon!' I held it up in triumph. Triton jumped up and down in happiness. I let Lillipup out, who barked in greeting. 'Hello to you too.' I pulled out the Potion I'd received. 'Here, this will help.' With that I restored Lillipup's lost HP. Lillipup yipped its thanks. I checked my Pokédex again. 'So you're a girl. Hmm…you'll have to wait a little on a nickname. But I'll think of something good.' She nodded. 'Let's go you two. We have to meet the others.'

The two Pokémon followed behind me. Just as I spotted Bianca's green hat another Lillipup leapt at me. This one had darker fur and was quite a bit bigger than my own. 'Size doesn't matter. Let's try this out Lillipup!' I called. I waited but nothing happened. I looked down to see Lillipup cowering behind my foot. 'What's wrong? Don't you want to battle?' Lillipup yipped and took some stiff steps forward, facing her opponent. 'Ok, let's try a Tackle.' Lillipup managed to ran and hit the other Lillipup. The opponent Lillipup copied her, hitting her with a tackle. Whimpering, Lillipup ran behind my legs again. Frowning in concern I decided to let her be for now. 'Triton, use Water Gun!' Triton leapt forward, shooting water straight into the opponent's face. The Lillipup shook its head, blinded for a moment. It sniffed the air. I was confused until I checked my Pokédex and saw it had used the move Odor Sleuth. That meant that Lillipup would hit the target even if blinded. I decided speed would be the best option. 'Triton run into a Water Gun and follow it up with Tackle!' Triton ran, shooting water into Lillipup. It stumbled and as it was recovering, Triton, who had kept running, smashed into its side, causing it to faint.

I rubbed Triton on the head. 'Good job.' I turned to my Lillipup, kneeling down to get closer. 'Hey there. What happened?' Lillipup whimpered. I scratched her ear, to show I wasn't angry. 'Did you get scared?' Lillipup looked down. 'It's okay to be scared. You'll do better next time.' Her ears fell slightly. 'Don't want to battle?' She looked up and growled. 'So you do want to battle.' I thought for a moment. 'Maybe…maybe you're not ready to battle yet.' She yapped in agreement. 'Maybe I should let you go then.' She growled again. 'No? Hmm…what am I supposed to do then?'

'White, is that you?' I looked up to see Cheren standing above me. 'Is that your Lillipup?'

I nodded. I stood up and walked out of the grass, Triton and Lillipup following. Bianca was standing by the trees. 'Hey White. Cheren and I have two Pokémon each. How did you go?'

'Two as well.' I indicated down at the Pokémon at my feet. 'So I guess we all tied.'

'Oh wow, you caught a Lillipup too!' Bianca said excitedly. 'Except, yours seems kinda small…'

Before I could reply all our Xtransceivers began ringing. We picked up to see Professor Juniper using a four way screen with the three of us. 'Hey, how are you all going on Route 1?'

'Great! Tep and I are getting along and I even caught a Lillipup! I call her Lilli.' Bianca gushed.

'That's great. Well, I'm in front of the Pokémon Centre in Accumula Town, so come meet me there. I'd like to show you around.' Professor Juniper smiled and then hung up.

Cheren, Bianca and I looked at each other. Cheren shrugged. 'Let's go.' They turned and headed into town.

I turned to my Pokémon. 'Hey you guys, time to go into your Pokéballs. I don't want to lose you in town.' They nodded and I returned them. Following my friends I headed into town. The Pokémon Centre was easy to spot and I saw Professor Juniper waiting outside. I went over. 'Hi Professor.'

'Hello White. Isn't it great to be a trainer and travel around?' She said cheerfully. Before I could reply she called me to follow her and headed into the centre. Entering through the sliding doors, she announced a tour and headed to the main desk where Bianca was waiting.

'Where's Cheren?' I looked around but couldn't see him anywhere.

'Cheren said he'd rather find things out by himself.' Bianca said. 'So he had his Pokémon healed and then left to explore the town.'

'Well, every person has their own way of doing things.' The Professor said cheerfully. She waved at the woman behind the counter. 'This is a Pokémon Nurse. There's a nurse at every centre. All you have to do is give them your Pokémon and they'll heal them for you.'

I nodded and handed mine over. The Nurse took them and placed them on a machine. Moments later, after some computer flashing, she handed them over. 'All better. By the way, you have a very special Lillipup.'

'How so?' Yes, she was a little small but otherwise, she didn't seem anything extraordinary.

Professor Juniper took the Pokéball, using a small scanner she had on her to inspect Lillipup. 'She's what we call a Shiny Pokémon. Shiny Pokémon have colour variations compared to others of their species. They're very rare.' She handed the Pokéball back. 'She's only a few months old though, so I wouldn't be using her in too intensive battles.'

'She's a child?' I was shocked. Though that would explain her size.

Professor Juniper nodded before turning back to the tour. 'Bianca's already had her Pokémon healed.' She walked over to the PC next to the Nurse. 'This is a PC where you can store Pokémon. After you gain six on hand, Pokémon will automatically be transferred here. You can also contact me through the PC and I'll let you know how you're doing with your Pokédex.' She walked over to a blue counter next to the door. 'This is the PokéMart. You can get Pokéballs, Potions, Battle Items and all sorts of other things you'll need on your journey.'

'Battle Items?' Bianca cocked her head curiously.

Professor Juniper smiled. 'As the name suggests they're items that enhance your Pokémon's ability during battle. You can only use them once though. You won't be able to access them yet though. Not until you've got a certain number of gym badges to show you're a trainer good enough to use them. That's the same with a number of other items, such as Super Potions and Revives.' She took a breath. 'Well that's all the basics covered. When you get to Striaton City, say hello to my friend Fennel. She might give you something good. Well, good luck! I hope you have the adventure of a lifetime!' With that, she left.

I turned to Bianca. 'What are you going to do now?'

'Shop!' She said excitedly, turning to the counter. 'I should get Pokéballs right?'

'Indeed ma'am.' The man at the counter jumped forward at the sales opportunity. 'Also, if you're going on a journey Potions are a must have.'

'Hmmm….yes…..I'll think about it. What else do you have?' Bianca asked.

Seeing Bianca would be preoccupied for a while I decided I would pick up some supplies later, rather than deal with the man's sales pitch to my friend. I headed out, trying to figure out what to do with Lillipup. _She doesn't want to be released. I think she wants to get stronger. But if I'm going to head deeper into stronger territory, I can't really bring her with me, not until she grows to the right size. _I was so deep in thought that I almost walked into two people in front of me.

I was about to apologise when I realised they hadn't even noticed. 'Sounds like something's going on in the plaza!' One of them told the other. Both of them headed off. Curiously, I followed them to see a crowd of people waiting. On the plaza a row of people stood at attention, all wearing medieval uniforms. At the ends of the row, two flags were set up. They were half black, half white, with a blue P and Z (or was it a lightning bolt?) right in the middle.

'White, over here!'

I looked in the crowd to see Cheren waving at me. I squeezed in between people, apologising (I had been doing a lot of that today) as I pushed past. I finally got to Cheren. 'What's going on?'

Before he could answer a hush fell over the crowd as an important looking elderly man with green-grey hair stepped forward. 'My name is Ghetsis.' His voice flowed gently over the crowd, entrancing them. 'I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation.' I raised an eyebrow. Was the man crazy? Apparently others thought so too as voices whispered through the crowd. 'I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokémon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However…is that really the truth?' He paused for a moment, allowing the spell of his words to sink in. 'Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans…only assume that this is the truth?' Despite the fact his voice had fallen to a whisper I could still hear him clearly, showing how silent the crowd had become. 'Pokémon are subject to the selfish commands of trainers…They get pushed around when they are our "partners" at work…Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?' His voice had risen, challenging the audience. I could hear people around me whisper in uncertainty. 'Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?' He threw his hands out, his voice rising. 'That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals.' He took a deep breath, quietening once again. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon…and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention.'*

With that, Ghetsis and his people walked away. The spell broken, people began laughing and giggling about the speech, though an air of uncertainty hung over the air. Cheren turned to me. 'What do you think?'

I raised my eyebrows. 'I wanted to applaud.'

'You agree with him?' Cheren asked, startled.

'No way.' I made a face. 'I think what he said is ridiculous. What I meant was that the man was good at acting; you saw the way he managed to enthral the audience, how he spoke. It was kind of entertaining.'

'So you don't believe in Pokémon Liberation.' Cheren said a little too casually.

I studied my friend for a moment. He was a little rattled but didn't want to show it. 'Look Cheren, what he said may have sounded pretty but essentially all he wanted to do was separate humans and Pokémon. Which is a load of bull. Humans and Pokémon have been together for hundreds of years: one man's silly idealism isn't going to change history.'

Cheren looked at me for a moment. He smiled, obviously feeling better. 'Obviously, I knew that but how is it that you weren't tricked like the rest of the crowd?'

I rolled my eyes at his cockiness. 'I've been exposed to charismatic men before.'

'_A lily for the pretty lady.' Blue eyes smiled kindly as the man used a hand trick to make a white lily to appear in his hands. I was young enough to believe in magic then so I clapped in delight as he gave me the flower. A thud! met my ears as the man's eyes turned from kindness to pain. He scowled at the little girl who had her hands on her hips, trying to look as dignified as a seven year old could. _

'_Uncle Wallace, you shouldn't be tricking my friend.' Em said crossly. 'Mum says that you use silly tricks to...to trick people and I don't want you tricking White.' _

'_Kicking me isn't going to solve the problem.' Wallace informed her lightly. 'I don't always trick people. Sometimes I just want to say kind things.' _

'_Mum says I shouldn't trust anything you say.' _

'_Well you should listen and decide for yourself.' He pulled his beret off and put it on Em's head, tugging it over her eyes. 'However, because you're my favourite niece, I'll stop.' _

_She pulled it back up, attempting to keep the smile off her face, charmed in spite of herself. 'I'm your only niece.' _

A sobbing interrupted my reminiscing. I looked around to see most of the crowd had dispersed. However, a little girl, no more than seven, was huddled on the ground crying. I walked over and knelt next to her. 'Hey, what's wrong?'

She sobbed. 'W-would I really be trapping Pokémon i-if I use Pokéballs?'

I felt a surge of pity. A child shouldn't be exposed to the sort of ridiculous idealism until she understood that everyone had their own opinion. 'What's your name?'

'L-Laura.'

'Well, Laura my name is White.' I pointed behind me. 'And this is my friend Cheren.' I looked back to see him nodding in acknowledgement. 'How old are you?'

'Seven.'

'Well Cheren and I are both twelve.' I said. 'We both became Pokémon Trainers today. Do you want to be a trainer?'

She nodded. 'Yes. Ever since I was really little.'

'Then you know how strong Pokémon are.' I smiled. She nodded again. 'Well Laura, I don't think Pokémon would stay if they didn't want to. I don't think we could stop them.' Another nod. Her face was slowly getting brighter. 'So that must mean that they want to come with us, that they like being with us. Isn't that right Cheren?'

'Wha…I mean, of course!' Cheren quickly recovered after being caught off-guard.

'So we're not trapping them?' She whispered.

I shook my head and leant forward, whispering as if I was sharing a secret. 'Do you know Pokémon use Pokéballs as well?' She shook her head, eyes wide. 'Yep. They use them to test us humans. If we can capture them in a Pokéball it means the Pokémon's decided that we're good enough to work with them. If anyone's being used, it's us.'

Laura giggled, tears completely forgotten. 'Is it fun, being a trainer?'

I nodded. 'Of course. Who doesn't like making new friends while travelling?' I had an idea. I pulled out Lillipup's Pokéball and let her out. The puppy Pokémon barked happily.

Laura's eyes widened. 'Can I pat him?'

'Lillipup's a girl and of course you can.' Cheren shot me a confused look and I shot him a "be patient" look. Laura leant over and patted Lillipup. 'Laura, this is Lillipup. Lillipup, this is Laura.' Lillipup yipped a greeting and licked her hand, causing Laura to giggle. 'I just caught Lillipup on Route 1. Now, I'm planning to keep travelling and when I do, I'm sure there'll be lots of Pokémon battles. Unfortunately, Lillipup is still too young to battle. If I use her now I could get her hurt. She needs to grow up some more before she can enter battles. I asked Lillipup if she would rather be released into the wild earlier and she said no. She wants to battle. So Laura, if Lillipup agrees, will you take Lillipup as your Pokémon?'

Laura gasped. 'Seriously?'

I nodded. 'It means you'll have to care for her until she gets bigger. By the time you leave on your journey Lillipup will have fully grown and I'm sure she'll be able to take on anything.'

'Of course!' Laura said instantly.

I smiled at Laura then knelt down to face Lillipup. 'Lillipup, I'm leaving the decision up to you. You can come travelling with me now, though you won't be able to battle, you can go back into the wild and get stronger until another trainer comes around or you can stay with Laura until you both grow older and then go travelling with her. What do you want to do?'

The puppy Pokémon thought for a moment. She sat on her rump and cocked her head, looking as if she was intensely considering the matter. She got up and patted Laura's foot with her paw. 'You want to stay with Laura?' I asked, just to be sure. Lillipup barked in agreement.

'Oh thank you!' Laura gasped, as she picked Lillipup up and gave her a hug. Lillipup began showering her face with licks. Laura laughed as she tried to get Lillipup to stop. 'I know! I'll call you Happy.' Happy barked twice, wagging her tail in appreciation of her new name.

I got Triton out. I leaned over and scratched Happy behind the ears. 'Take care of yourself Happy and take care of Laura.' She yapped in agreement. Triton chattered a goodbye as well.

'Thank you Miss White.' Laura was smiling ear to ear. 'I promise to take good care of Happy. Is it alright if I go show my family?'

I smiled at her. 'Here's Happy's Pokéball.' I handed the object over. 'Now I expect to see you as a trainer in a few years. I'll be waiting for a battle.'

She nodded fervently. 'Of course. Goodbye. And thanks again!' With that she ran off.

I took a deep breath, a little sad to see Happy go but glad I managed to settle the situation to everyone's satisfaction. I turned to face Cheren who was shaking his head in amusement. 'I would say you made your first Pokémon trade but you didn't get anything out of it.'

'Happy's happy right? I say I got plenty out of it.' I retorted. Triton, who was on my shoulder now, chattered in agreement.

'Your Pokémon…Just now, it was saying…'

A voice interrupted our conversation. Cheren and I turned to see a young man, with green hair, eyes and a black cap, staring at me with feverish eyes. I felt a little edgy under the intensity of his stare. Cheren, surprisingly, sensed it too because he stepped out slightly in front of me as he said, 'Slow down. You talk too fast. And what's this about Pokémon…talking? That's an odd thing to say.'

'They're talking.' He replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. We looked at him doubtfully. He stared back at us, as if _we_ were the crazy ones. 'Oh, you two can't hear it either…how…sad.'

'Right. Who are you?' I asked. I realised after I said it that it was probably a bad idea to encourage him.

'My name is N.' He said. What an odd name! Maybe it stood for something? He waited expectantly.

After a pause Cheren spoke up. 'My name is Cheren and this is White.'

'White huh?' He stared at me again.

'Yes, that's my name.' He was definitely making me feel nervous.

'You're a strange person.' He stated. I blinked. _I_ was the strange one? 'You gave your Lillipup a choice. I didn't know people gave Pokémon choices.'

'Of course, Pokémon have feelings. It's not like the TV shows where Pokémon always want to get stronger or want to stay.' I shrugged. 'There's a Pokémon I know that doesn't want to evolve and the trainer knows that, so as long as the Pokémon doesn't want to evolve, the trainer doesn't want it either.'

He muttered something to himself though I think I caught the word "anomaly". 'It was strange that Lillipup would choose to stay in captivity rather than to go back into the wild.' He added.

'Is it really that strange? She wants to be friends with people and she gained a new one when she changed trainers.' I pointed out. 'It's what she wanted.'

He paused for a moment. 'And what do you want?' He asked.

Cheren interrupted. I don't think he like being ignored by N. 'We were asked to complete the Pokédex and we just left on our journey. My main goal is to become the Champion though.' He bragged.

'The Pokédex, eh?' He frowned. 'So…You're going to confine many, many Pokémon in Pokéballs for that, then.' He spoke faster and faster until I could barely understand him.

'Confine isn't the word I would use.' I replied. This guy wasn't dangerous like I thought he was before. His stare had made him seem creepy; now I knew he was just nuts. 'Like Cheren said, I'm a trainer but I don't think of the Pokéball as confinement.'

'I'm a trainer too but I can't help wondering are Pokémon really happy that way?' N pondered.

'You said you can talk to them. Just ask.' Cheren pointed out. He had stepped back when he realised N was harmless.

N looked at him in surprise as if he had forgotten he was there. 'But if it does make them unhappy, I don't want to confine them just for my curiosity. I'm no Professor.'

I frowned. 'Professor Oak is a great man whose invention has helped expand our knowledge of Pokémon. Yes, the trainers he sent on the quest to fill the Pokédex captured lots of Pokémon but that doesn't mean they don't treat them well.'I had very fond memories of the aging man in Pallet Town, which was why I defended him when I would normally let the slight pass. 'Besides, every other trainer uses Pokéballs so why don't you just ask their Pokémon? Here, ask Triton.' N did ask before I remembered he wouldn't be able to understand him anyway.

Triton chattered. N focused, as if he was really listening. 'Interesting. I wonder if your Pokémon would say the same in a different situation.' He back up a few steps, waving his hands. A little purple cat Pokémon came forward, purring and rubbing N's leg. 'Purrloin, please help me test this Oshawott.' Purrloin jumped forward, letting out a hair-raising yowl.

Triton gave a cry, jumping down and getting into a battle stance. I grumbled, pulling out my Pokédex. 'If you just wanted a battle you could've said so from the start.' _Purrloin. The Devious Pokémon. Dark Type._ It was a pretty even match up. 'Ok Triton, let's make the first move. Tail Whip!' Triton ran forward, smacking his tail against Purrloin's face, lowering defence.

'Purrloin, use scratch.' N gave his order. Purrloin unsheathed his claws and scratch Triton across the face, causing him to stumble back.

'Use water gun!'

'Growl.'

Purrloin began growling, a low rumble in his throat causing Triton to make a face as the annoying sound. I knew it lowered Triton's attack power. Triton sprayed water straight into Purrloin's face and into the cat's open mouth. Not only did it send Purrloin tumbling backwards but the Growl stopped as the cat choked on the water.

'Let's go Triton. Tackle!'

Triton ran forward as Purrloin cleared his throat and smashed into him. Purrloin fell again while Triton jumped back, waiting for the next attack or order.

'Water Gun!'

'Scratch.'

Again a jet of water hit Purrloin, causing him to stumble but not before the feline managed to get a Scratch attack in.

'Hey Triton, remember the combo we used on that wild adult Lillipup?' Triton nodded, keeping his eyes on Purrloin. I grinned. 'Let's try it here. Go!'

Triton shot water into Purrloin's eyes, causing damage and temporarily blinding him. Just as the water cleared he suffered a Tackle from Triton, who'd run directly after the Water Gun, causing twice the damage. Triton leaped back as Purrloin hissed at him.

'Purrloin, go for a Scratch.' N called, his eyes full of some undefinable emotion.

Purrloin leapt forward. I watched him carefully and just as I saw his front right paw tense I called, 'Dodge!' Triton managed to dodge left, causing Purrloin to miss. 'Water Gun!' The spray, at such a close proximity, hit hard, sending Purrloin flying. He fainted the moment he landed. Triton cheered, jumping into my arms as I congratulated him. 'Getting so strong and we haven't even completed day one!' I said cheerfully.

I looked over to see N whisper something to Purrloin as he took him in his arms. 'Your Pokémon said some unexpected things.' He murmured. N frowned, tightening his arms around Purrloin. 'As long as Pokémon are confined in Pokéballs Pokémon will never become perfect beings. I have to change the world for Pokémon because they're my friends. ' He seemed to be speaking to himself as much as us. He nodded at us and left.

I frowned. 'He didn't even take Purrloin to the Pokémon Centre to get healed when it's just over there.'

'Maybe he's anti-technology.' Cheren suggested. 'It would explain the anti-Pokéball stance.'

'He seemed fine with that Xtransceiver on his wrist.' I pointed out.

'I didn't see that.' There was a pause. 'He was…a strange guy.'

'You mean he was a lunatic.' I was feeling annoyed at him, though I couldn't figure out exactly why.

'I wouldn't worry about it. I'm won't.' Cheren pushed his glasses up. 'Chances are we'll never meet him again. Unova isn't exactly small.'

I sighed. 'Come get some rest Triton.' I returned the Oshawott to his Pokéball.

'I'm going on ahead.' Cheren announced. 'I want to challenge the gym in the next city-The Striaton Gym. I want to be stronger, so I'll keep challenging the gym leaders.'

I nodded while he talked. I had heard this talk before. When he stopped I held up my Xtransceiver. 'Look at the time Cheren. It's almost evening. We should find Bianca and grab some dinner. We all skipped lunch so we definitely need the food. After that we should get some rest. You can go to Striaton City tomorrow, when you'll actually get there before dark.'

'I'm not scared of the dark.' Cheren stated petulantly.

I rolled my eyes. Cheren could be annoying sometimes. 'I know but there's being scared and being stupid. Come on, let's find Bianca.' I dragged him along, headed for the PokéMart that Bianca was no doubt still at.

* * *

><p><em>*This is actually what Ghetsis says in the game<em>

_Yay, White catches a new Pokemon! Until she releases it. I wanted a reason why N would choose White to talk to (I refuse to believe that White's Pokemon are the only ones in the entire game that state they like their trainer) and I don't really support FerrisWheelShipping, so this is what came up. _

_As for the mentioned FerrisWheelShipping, __I can't see it happening in the main storyline of the game. Maybe years (and I mean years) later if N comes back but otherwise, no. So obviously, this fanfic currently has no plans for romance between the two-I suppose if you want to look at it that way you could spot it but it's not my intention. _

_Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read. Please review, I'd like to know where I've done well and where I need improvement!_


	3. New City, New Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon

**CHAPTER 3: New City, New Friends**

* * *

><p>'<em>What's this one?' Black asked, picking up another egg. He shook it, holding it up to his ear, trying to hear something. <em>

_Em snatched it away. 'This one's a Bulbasaur and don't shake it; you could hurt the baby inside!' She gently placed it on the shelf it had been sitting on. _

'_What about this one?' I tapped the green egg on the shelf next to me. _

_Em scowled. I instantly pulled my hand away. 'That one's gonna hatch into a Chikorita.' _

'_I don't really like those Pokémon.' Black stated. 'I reckon I'd choose a Cyndaquil or Squirtle when I get to go on my journey.' _

'_Not a Pikachu?' Em teased. _

'_That would be awesome if I could!' Black said excitedly. 'Wouldn't you want one?' _

_Em shook her head. 'Nah, I don't really like Pikachu. I…I think I'd want Totodile as my first Pokémon.' _

'_You want the only Pokémon your family doesn't breed to start?' I asked, confused. 'I mean you know all about the other starters. Wouldn't it be easier?' _

'_But that's exactly why. I want a Pokémon I don't know; it'd be more fun as we get to know one another!' Em replied. 'What about you?' _

'_I reckon she'd get Chikorita. After all, that's a girl Pokémon.' Black said smugly. _

'_Is not!' Em and I yelled at him. 'Lots of guys pick Chikorita!' Em added indignantly. _

'_Not as many as the others.' Black retorted, sticking his tongue out. We instantly broke into another argument, which wasn't settled until our parents split us up. _

_If I'd had the chance to answer Em's question back then, I wouldn't have been able to. They were all attractive to me but it was always going to be a hard choice; I'd always been indecisive about the hard stuff. The only thing I knew I wanted was to become the best with the friends I had. I still wish for it now but I know that it's not possible anymore._

* * *

><p>I woke up to see Triton snoring lightly next to me on my pillow. I smiled at him affectionately. I was glad I'd chosen him. He had been amazingly supportive despite only having been with me for one day. I rolled over and sat up gently, careful not to wake him. In the other bed on the other side of the room Bianca lay fast asleep. After Cheren and I had dragged her away from the PokéMart yesterday we had grabbed dinner, chatted and eventually crashed in the Pokémon Centre. I stretched and got out of bed, leaving my friends inside the room. I went out into the main lobby of the Pokémon Centre.<p>

Not many people were there yet. The assistants in the PokéMart were just setting the store up. I walked over and got two potions for the next leg of my journey. Tired as they were, I didn't have to deal with any sales pitch so it was a fast transaction. I was about to head back to my room with the Nurse came up to me. 'Good morning White.'

I smiled. 'Morning. How are you?'

'I'm good thanks White.' She smiled. 'I have a message for you from your friend Cheren. He said he's going ahead to start his gym challenge. He also said he was sure that he'll meet again on your journeys.' I thanked her for passing on the message and she left to go attend the front desk.

I headed back into my room. The opening door woke Triton up as he blinked sleepily as I came in. I passed him a bread roll I had saved from last night. I wasn't feeling hungry but I knew Triton might need the sustenance. As I changed, he quickly ate it. 'Come on Triton. Let's get going.' He nodded and I returned him to his Pokéball. Bianca didn't wake up during the exchange so I quickly scribbled a note saying I was leaving on my adventure first. Changing quickly, I left the Pokémon Centre.

Heading past the town square I couldn't help thinking about Happy and Team Plasma. I would miss Happy but I knew she was going to be great with Laura. I couldn't imagine how it would've been if Team Plasma had managed to influence Laura into giving up being a trainer. No doubt Happy would've been upset at not being able to battle with me and Laura would've been heartbroken to have given up on her dreams. I wondered what Ghetsis would've done if he had seen Laura after his speech.

Laura, Happy and Team Plasma were driven out of my mind when I saw the gate. I couldn't wait to get onto Route 2. I passed through, noting the sunny weather that was being stated on the bulletin board. I stepped through and took a look at Route 2. I wasn't much different from Route 1 but I couldn't wait to start. However I'd only taken a few steps when my Xtransceiver rang. 'What?' I snapped impatiently when I picked up.

'Why, hello to you too.' My brother's grinning face appeared on screen, with his regular red and black Pokéball cap on.

'Black!' I grinned back. It had been a while since I'd talked to him face to face. 'You look great! But is something wrong? How come you're calling?'

'I wanted to congratulate my baby sister on becoming a trainer.' He said teasingly.

I made a face. 'You're only one year older than I am Black. I'm not your baby sister.'

'Sure, sure.' He grinned when I stuck my tongue out at him. 'Which starter did you pick?'

'Oshawott. He's a water type. I call him Triton.'

'I can't wait to meet him.' Black gave a sad smile. 'How's Mum?'

'She's going fine. She's always so strong.' I gave a sheepish smile. 'I felt a little bad leaving her. She'll be alone now.'

'Yeah but, she would've felt worse if you stayed for her. And you live in the same region; it's not live you'll never see her again.'

There was a pause. 'Did you feel as if you were in over your head when you started your journey?'

Black nodded. 'Doesn't everyone? But I had the gyms to challenge and I couldn't afford to lose my cool. You can't afford to lose yours either.'

'It's not like I'm taking the gym challenge.' I muttered. I bit my lip when I realised I said it out loud.

'What? Why? Don't you want to be Champion?'

'I used to. It just seems like so much trouble now.' I shrugged. 'I'm just planning to help Professor Juniper.'

'White…' Black looked helpless. 'You can't. What about me? What about Em?'

I shrugged again. 'You'll be fine. I'm quite happy to just support you two.' I gave him a weak smile. 'Besides, it seems kind of pointless now we're all separated.'

Black frowned but caved in. 'It's your decision. But I sure hope you change your mind.' There were some voices in the background. 'I've gotta go. Good luck on the rest of your journey. And congratulations again.'

'Bye Black.' I said, but the screen had already gone fuzzy as he'd hung up. I sighed. It really had been a long time since I'd seen him and I missed him a lot. He seemed to have changed from the annoying brother I'd known when I was younger.

A bark broke me out of my reverie. I looked around to see a Lillipup disappearing into the tall grass. Taking a deep breath and squaring my shoulders I reminded myself that I was on a journey. I headed into the grass.

Route 2 wasn't much different from Route 1 except, there were a few trainers to battle. Triton levelled up quickly during wild Pokémon battles and trainer challenges. I chose not to catch another Lillipup-I wasn't feeling up to it so soon after Happy. I considered a Patrat when I first bumped into one but Cheren had boasted about his proud Patrat over dinner last night; if he already had data I didn't see the point of catching another one.

Just as we were reaching the end of Route 2 and Triton was getting tired a Purrloin jumped out at us. I got excited at the prospect of a new Pokémon joining our party. 'Think you can handle it Triton?'

Triton puffed up his chest as he went to challenge the Purrloin. 'Alright, Water Gun!'

Much stronger from the experience he had gained on Route 2, Triton's Water Gun did considerable damage to the Purrloin. After recovering from the jet of water it leapt forward, Scratching at Triton. The Oshawott took a little damage. I was a little worried. I hadn't healed Triton from the last battles so he wasn't at full health.

'Hold on a little longer Triton!' I called. 'Tackle!'

Triton smashed into Purrloin, who scratched in retaliation. Triton stood defiant though I noticed him trembling slightly from exhaustion. The Purrloin was in worse condition. It swayed where it stood, about to faint. I pulled a Pokéball out, preparing to throw. It tensed its paw, ready to strike, yowling in defiance. The action made me remember yesterday's battle against N. It made me wonder if Purrloin was trying to say something. With Triton, the moment I got him, we'd had a strong communication. Same with Happy yesterday, despite the fact she ended up with another trainer. I hesitated; maybe this Purrloin wasn't for me.

Noticing I had paused, Purrloin took advantage and dived away, further into the tall grass. I took a step forward but knew I had already lost it. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Triton tugged at my leg. 'Sorry Triton, after all that hard work. I let Purrloin get away.' He shook his head and chattered at me happily to show he wasn't mad. I sighed and picked him up, grabbing a Potion from my bag. 'I was hoping to make it to the Pokémon Centre in Striaton City but it's better to have you at full health, just in case.' I healed Triton up and placed him on my shoulder, where he seemed to quite like perching. I headed forward, intending to leave the grass.

My Xtransceiver rang again. I picked up. 'Hello?'

'Hi sweetie, how's the journey?'

'Mum!' I grinned at the familiar smile. 'It's going great so far.'

She laughed. 'Sounds like you're having fun. Have you got any new friends yet?' I quickly explained Happy to her. She nodded. 'You did the right thing. It can be hard to let Pokémon go but if it's better for them then we should respect them.'

I smiled. It was always nice having assurance from Mum. 'Thanks.'

'By the way, you got a package. I sent it forward to the Striaton City Pokémon Centre.'

I nodded. 'I'll pick it up when I get there.'

She smiled. 'I'll let you get to it then. Take care of yourself White.'

'You too Mum.' She hung up.

I kept walking and just saw the beginning of an asphalt road when a voice called my name. I saw Bianca come running up. 'Hey White. How's it been? Has Triton gotten any stronger? Caught any new Pokémon? Hey, how about a battle?'

I laughed. 'One question at a time Bianca. I'm going alright, Triton's gotten heaps stronger. No, I don't have any new Pokémon and sure, I guess we can battle.'

She clapped her hands in glee. 'Alright, let's go Lilli!'

The battle was pretty short. It seemed that while I had spent some time training on Route 2, Bianca had come straight here from Accumula Town (that would explain how she caught up with me). At the end, we returned out Pokémon to their Pokéballs. 'Wow, White, strong as ever.'

'You've gotten heaps better too.' It was true. Compared to our first battle, Bianca knew what she was doing. She still struggled but for someone who had minimal contact with Pokémon before yesterday, she was doing really well.

'But if I want to keep up with you and Cheren I'll have to train harder.' She got a look of determination on her face. 'Right, I'm going to stay on Route 2 for a bit. I'll see you later.' Before I could say goodbye she had run off.

I shrugged and walked on. I entered Striaton City, which was larger than Accumula Town. Before I went to look around I headed to the Pokémon Centre. I walked up to the Nurse and placed Triton's Pokéball on the desk. 'Could you heal him up please?'

'Of course!' She smiled and placed Triton on the machine. After a few seconds his Pokéball was safely back in my hands. 'Excuse me, but might you be Miss White?'

I nodded. 'I am. I think there's a package for me?'

She smiled again. 'That's right. Just a moment.' She disappeared for a moment as she looked under the desk. She popped back up again with a brown box in her hands. 'Here you go.' She handed it over before being distracted by another trainer.

Taking it to a seat, I called Triton out. He looked at the package curiously. 'Let's fine out, shall we?' I smiled when he jumped up in excitement. I opened the package to see a glass white flute in the box. 'Huh?' I wasn't musically talented so I saw no point to the gift. Pulling it out, I saw it was quite delicate. Triton chattered at me and I looked at him pointing inside the box. There was a piece of paper and on the note it simply read 'I'll give you three guesses'. I laughed. I instantly knew who it was.

Taking the flute with me and Triton on my shoulder, I logged onto my email on the PC. There were two new emails there and I clicked the first one.

_Hi White!_

_If you're reading this then I guess you got my present. Congratulations on (finally!) becoming a trainer! I couldn't resist giving you a gift. It's a White Flute, specially crafted from the volcanic ash of Mt Chimney. No, it's not a useless gift, don't you trust me? If you play the White Flute, it increases your chances of Wild Pokémon encounters for a short time-so you'll be able to meet heaps of new Pokémon! Great, isn't it? Anyway, I won't wish you luck for your journey; you'll be fine. Miss you heaps. _

_Em._

I looked at the flute in amazement. This small, delicate thing would help me meet more Pokémon? It seemed unbelievable. Triton tried blowing on it and jumped when it made noise. I laughed; Triton was small but he was a powerhouse so I guess I couldn't judge. I gently put it away in my bag-it would definitely be useful for my journey, especially in filling the Pokédex. I scratched Triton's head. 'Em's so thoughtful. I can't believe she gave me a gift when I've only just begun.' I quickly typed up an email thanking her.

When I finished, I remembered the other email. I quickly opened it. My heart beat faster as I read the contents.

_White,_

_I heard you've started your Pokémon journey. Congratulations. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see you off but I've sent a gift. Look in your Pokémon Storage Box. _

_Love, Dad._

I froze at the words. I'd had minimal contact with my father since I'd moved to Unova. I didn't really know what to make of his words. It never occurred to me that he would remember the start of my journey; he'd forgotten most of my birthdays so it had seemed probable. It was stranger seeing the word 'sorry'. My father never apologised; at least, he never said it straight out. It was so…so muddled and confusing. It wasn't like him.

Triton gently patted my arm and I jumped in surprise. I'd forgotten he was there. In fact, I didn't even know how long I'd been at the computer but guessing from the angry person behind me, it'd been a while. I quickly check my Box to see a Pokémon there. I quickly took it out without even checking what it was and logged off. Muttering an apology to the person behind me I sprinted out of the Pokémon Centre, Triton at my feet.

I just ran. I didn't know where I was going but I couldn't stop. I just had to run until I could calm myself enough to think. Eventually I hit a fountain where I stopped, staring at the water as I panted hard. A little squeak made me look down to see Triton, also tired, staring at me in concern. I knelt down and pulled Triton into a hug, sitting on the edge of the fountain. 'I'm sorry Triton. I must've scared you.' He simply snuggled into me, comforting me. I gave him a small smile. 'Thanks Triton.' There was quiet for a while, as I listened to the splashing water. 'You know, I haven't seen my father since I was nine. When he calls I don't really know what to say and neither does he so…he hardly calls. It just makes it easier. It was just weird that he suddenly contacted me with a gift; I didn't think he even knew my email. I didn't know what to do so I just panicked.' I cuddled Triton closer. 'It was just…just _strange_. Though I guess it shouldn't be strange that a father gives his daughter a present.' I mulled on it for a while.

A tapping noise distracted me. I looked down to see Triton tapping the Pokéball I had taken from the PC in my hand. I had held it the whole time without noticing. I gently put Triton down on the fountain's edge, sighing. 'Let's see what we have.' I opened the Pokéball. A Charmander came out, blinking at me. I gaped. 'Wow, a Charmander!'

It looked at me and sneezed. Triton hopped down and chattered at Charmander. It stared, gave a small growl then turned its head. I gave a tiny smile and extended a hand. 'Hi there, I'm White.' Charmander looked at me for a second before turning its head. I frowned. It wasn't very friendly. Triton huffed and shot a tiny jet of water at it. Still, the water caused harm to the fire Pokémon who retaliated by using a Scratch attack. 'Stop it!' I scolded. Both stopped though Charmander glared at both of us while Triton glared at Charmander. 'Come on, let's be friends!' Triton jumped onto my shoulder, chattering happily in my ear. Charmander continued to glare. I sighed returning it to its Pokéball. 'We should get you both healed up.'

I headed back to the Pokémon Centre, handing both Pokémon to the Nurse. She healed them and came back. 'It's very rare to see a Charmander in Unova.' She commented.

'It was a gift.' I made a face. 'Doesn't really seem to like me though.'

She laughed. 'Let me guess, your Oshawott was easy to get along with.' I nodded. 'With most Pokémon it takes a little time to get to know them. Like humans, some friendships take a little more effort than others.' I giggled, remembering my relationships with Bianca and Cheren. 'Let's see…East of Striaton City is the abandoned Dreamyard where you'll meet some trainers. That might be a place to start getting to know Charmander.'

I smiled. 'Thanks Miss!' I turned to go back looked back. 'Umm, by the way, would you know what gender Charmander is?'

She smiled. 'She's a girl. And she's at Level 11.'

I nodded, embarrassed. I left and went to the Dreamyard. When the first trainer came to challenge me I took both Pokémon out. 'Charmander, watch this! Triton, you're up!' The girl pulled out two Purrloins but Triton took both out easily. As I congratulated Triton I saw Charmander watching curiously. She turned her head when she realised I was looking. I smiled. 'Come on; let's take on the next trainer!'

Heading over I was challenged by a young boy. He pulled out two Patrat, which Triton beat with little effort. We were preparing for the next Pokémon when Charmander jumped in front. I blinked for a moment then recalled Triton back. 'Ok, let's win our first battle!'

A Lillipup came out. The trainer called a Tackle which slammed into Charmander. Charmander growled at it fiercely. 'Charmander, Ember!' Charmander breathed some flames with hit Lillipup hard, causing it to faint in one go. 'Wow.' Charmander looked proud. As the trainer left I came up to Charmander, grabbing her front paws. 'That was great Charmander.' Charmander looked pleased for a moment before remembering that she wasn't supposed to like me. She pulled back and growled. 'Hey come on, it's ok.' I reached forward to pat her head. She snarled and released an Ember on my hand. I yelped in pain and Triton burst out of his ball. He went to attack but I pulled him back with my spare hand. When the Ember had hit I knew that Charmander was aggressive because she was distrustful, not because she actually hated me. I gently offered her my burnt hand. 'It's ok. I just want to be friends.' She looked at me warily, her gaze switching between the smile on my face and the burn on my hand. She cautiously came forward and licked my hand. I winced at the pain but gently went to pat her head. 'See, we're all friends. Aren't we Triton?' I gave a little look at Triton who huffed but nodded. Charmander came to stand at my feet.

I pulled my hand back and turned to Triton. 'Can you put a bit of water on it?' Triton instantly gave it the smallest of sprays, cooling the burn. I gave a sigh of relief. Triton stopped and tugged at my leg. He ran to the other side and pushed it, causing me to stumble slightly. He looked concerned about my hand. 'Alright, alright, we're leaving.'

With Triton and Charmander at my side I left the Dreamyard and headed to the Pokémon Centre. Since I hadn't explored the area yet I had to ask the Nurse where the nearest doctor was. Looking at my hand in sympathy, she pulled me to the bathroom, running it under cold water for ten minutes. After that she bandaged it up. 'Plenty of trainers get hurt so I know some basic first aid. Charmander burnt you but it'll be fine. You'll need to apply some cream on it morning and nights for the next three days but after that all you can take the bandage off. You'll have a scar for a while after that but it should heal eventually.'

'Thanks Miss.' I heard a whimper and saw Charmander looking guilty. 'Oh don't worry about it. It's not the first time I've been burnt by a Pokémon, trust me. I'm just glad we're friends now.' She looked a bit happier. 'You're a tough battler, you know that?' She let out a little roar.

'If you're looking for a battle why don't you try the Striaton Gym?' The Nurse suggested.

I made a face. 'I don't really want to be Champion.'

She smiled. 'Badges aren't just about the Pokémon League. Every Badge is made out of material that conveys friendship to Pokémon, making them easier to handle after they're caught. The more badges you have, the friendlier the Pokémon.'

'Well…' I was about to deny it again when Triton and Charmander both let out noises of protest. 'You both want to challenge the gym?' Charmander let out a tiny spurt of flame and Triton pointed at my hand. 'You want to be stronger and make sure I don't get hurt again, huh?' Both of them nodded. I sighed. 'I'll think about it.' Triton looked satisfied but Charmander still looked a bit grumpy. She seemed to let it go though. I looked at my Xtransceiver. 'Come on you two. I'm starving. It's time for lunch.' The thought of food cheered them both up.

I thanked the Nurse again before leaving. I stopped at the entrance. 'You know what Charmander. I haven't given you a nickname yet. Let's see…' Both my Pokémon looked at me expectantly.

'You could call it Char.'

I frowned. 'I could but…whoa!' I jumped and turned to see who had spoken to me. A teenage boy, in a waiter's outfit with green hair and eyes stood there, smiling at me. I looked at him warily, remembering my last encounter with a green haired boy.

He nodded politely. 'I'm sorry to scare you and I'm sorry for listening in on you. I swear, I was just passing by.'

I relaxed. He seemed normal enough. 'That's alright, I was talking out loud.'

'My name's Cilan.' He held his hand out.

I shook it. 'I'm White. This is Triton and this is…well, you know my dilemma.'

He smiled at the Pokémon. 'If it's a Charmander why don't you call it Char?'

I shook my hand. 'That's the obvious nickname, I know, but I already know a Charizard called Char so it feels weird if they had the same nickname.'

'Ah…I see.' He thought for a moment. 'You could call it Hephaestus. He was the Greek God of fire after all. Going along with Triton's name theme.'

I smiled. 'That was just to do with Triton's nature than anything else. Besides, Hephaestus was male and Charmander's a girl so…hey, you know about the Greek pantheon?'

Cilan smiled. 'Just their names. What about you?'

'Mum loves mythology; you pick up on some things after a while.' I looked at Charmander for a moment. 'I know; Zara. It means radiance or shining. Eventually you'll evolve into Charizard so it works with your evolved form. What do you think?' Zara gave a roar of approval. 'Now that's done, let's get some lunch!'

'I know a place.' Cilan said. 'Follow me.' He led me next door where a café was set up. I felt a little underdressed with the design of the place until I saw most of the others dining there were dressed for travel as well. Cilan sat me down, with my Pokémon at my side and came whooshing back a moment later pouring tea.

'Let me guess, you work here?' I joked.

He smiled. 'You could say that. What would you like madam?'

I gave a wry smile. 'I'll leave it up to you. You could recommend what's best here.'

He nodded. 'At your service.'

I didn't really get a chance to talk to Cilan again as he was busy serving others but the food was tasty and Triton and Zara both seemed to enjoy it a lot. I paid the bill to a teenage boy with blue hair and blue eyes, who was extremely polite, managed to wave a goodbye to Cilan before leaving.

'Let's go exploring!' I finally said. Triton jumped up excitedly while Zara looked at the people passing by warily. 'Don't worry about it Zara. They won't bother you if you don't bother them.' She nodded, though she was still a little stiff.

I walked a few steps when someone suddenly stepped in front of me from another street. Letting out a yelp I stumbled back, the sun getting in my eyes and blinding me. They cleared up enough to let me see green hair. 'Oh geez Cilan, you scared me.'

'I'm afraid you have the wrong person White. But it's good to see you. I was wondering what your Pokémon says about you now.'

I blinked a few times to clear my vision though the fast talking voice had already given away who it was. Triton was glaring at him and I had to put a hand on Zara's head to keep her from attacking.

'Hi N.' I said wearily.

* * *

><p><em>Hurray for Striaton City! Hurray for White getting a new Pokemon! If you're wondering about that, I don't really like the monkey Pokemon you get which is why I gave White a different fire type. I don't really have much else to say about this chapter so, thanks for reading!<em>


	4. A Lesson in Ailments

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

**Chapter 4: A Lesson in Ailments**

* * *

><p>I sighed as I watched the Nurse wrapped N's arm with a bandage. 'How often do you have to treat more than one person injured by the same Pokémon in a day?' I joked.<p>

She gave a wry smile. 'It happens more than you think.' She gently patted N on the hand. 'It's a minor burn compared to White's so I've applied a coolant and wrapped it. You should be able to take the bandage off tomorrow; the skin will be sensitive for a few days but it should be fine otherwise.'

N stared at her. I nudged him. He looked at me confused, opened his mouth and closed it again. It was as if someone had hit a mute button on him. 'Thank you.' I thanked the Nurse on his behalf.

She smiled. 'It's fine. Just try to get Zara to stop attacking people.'

I nodded, thanking her again as she moved off to help a trainer who had just entered. I sighed, turning back to N who sat on the chair, staring at his arm. I couldn't help but think it was his own fault. After greeting me earlier, N had turned to my Pokémon, kneeling close to them. Triton had started chattering straightaway angrily, no doubt telling N off for scaring us. I had kept my hand on Zara's head, trying to keep her calm, though a low growl at the back of her throat indicated that she wasn't too happy with his proximity. N had turned to the Charmander and had reached out to touch her before I could warn him; Zara had reacted, letting out an Ember. A little black fox Pokémon I hadn't noticed until then had pushed him out of the way, the Ember just brushing N's arm. With no supplies on hand I had been forced to bring N to the Pokémon Centre.

'I thought you would know better than to approach others Pokémon before asking.' I said crossly to the older boy. Didn't anyone teach him manners? 'I could've told you that Zara was sensitive around people.' The little black Pokémon yapped at me, unhappy with my tone.

'It was just a misunderstanding.' He replied. 'There was no need to place her in a Pokéball. I'm sure we would have come to an understanding if you had given her a chance.'

'I put Zara back in her Pokéball for your safety, not as punishment for her.' I frowned, gently brushing the balls of my two Pokémon. I had returned them after Zara had attacked, not wanting to know what would've escalated if I had kept them out.

'But if you had just given me a chance to talk to her…'

'Zara was not in a talkative mood, if you haven't noticed the wound on your hand.' I folded my arms crossly. 'And speaking of wounds, how on earth did you not know to cool a burn with water? I nearly had to hold you down so Triton could give it a little spray. Didn't you learn any basics before you left home? You'd think a Pokémon fanatic like you would know how to treat a burn. What if it had been your little…' I indicated towards N's Pokémon; I wasn't sure what it was. '…friend who had gotten burnt? How would you have treated him...her?'

'A male….and…well….'

Ignoring his stammering I turned my attention away from N and onto his Pokémon. Pulling out my Pokédex, I quickly scanned it. _Zorua, Dark Type. The Tricky Fox Pokémon._ He barked crossly at the sight of my Pokédex so I put it away. I turned back to face his trainer, frowning. N was clearly older than me, looking more like a young man than a boy but he had just revealed an ignorance that rivalled Bianca's about the world. And that resemblance made me feel reluctant to leave him alone until he learnt something about taking care of himself and his Pokémon.

The best way to learn was through experience. I sighed and turned to leave. 'Follow me.' I said shortly, indicating towards the door. N silently picked up his Zorua and followed me out of the Pokémon Centre. I paused. Perhaps the Dreamyard would be a good place for basic training.

'White!'

I followed the voice to see Cilan coming down the street. I smiled and waved. 'Hey Cilan. Sorry about leaving so quickly before.'

He waved it away. 'It was nothing. What have you got planned now?'

'Well, I'm trying to give my….friend here a crash course on trainer basics.' I indicated towards N, not knowing how to describe him.

Cilan smiled at him and N nodded in reply. He turned back to me. 'Have you tried the Trainer School?'

I raised my eyebrows. 'There's one here in Striaton?'

He nodded and pointed down the street. 'I just came from there. Go straight down and it's on the right. Just look for the big sign. You can't miss it.'

'A trainer school…what is it like?' N asked curiously.

Before Cilan could answer I jumped in. 'I'll explain it to him later. Are you headed somewhere?'

Cilan nodded. 'I have to go help my brothers out actually. I might see you later.'

'Bye.' I waved until I saw him enter the café I had eaten at earlier. I turned back to N. 'Let's get going.'

We began walking. 'Trainer school?' N repeated.

I shrugged. 'It's pretty much how it sounds.' There was a moment of quiet before I realised that he _really_ didn't understand. 'A Trainer School is where people, mostly young children though there are older students, go to learn the basics of Pokémon, Pokémon care and how to be a trainer.'

'Did you go?' N asked curiously.

I shook my head. 'You don't have to go to school to learn how to be a trainer; it just helps. Sort of gives you a foot up the ladder.'

'What ladder?' I made a face. That would be the sort of question Bianca would ask. N however, realised it was a question I wasn't bothered to answer. He continued. 'Are there lots of Trainer Schools? Why didn't you go? Why doesn't everyone attend?' His speech quickened as it had earlier; obviously when he got passionate or curious he couldn't help himself.

'Not everyone attends because learning about training in school isn't the same as being a trainer out in the field. Different ways of learning for different people.' I quoted my mother when I had once asked her the same question. Of course, I had been six at the time but that was beside the point. 'I attended a class once when I was younger but I was learning the same thing elsewhere with a more hands on approach so it was kind of pointless. I chose not to go again. And I'm not sure about Unova but I know other regions usually only have one, if any. The most famous one, and the one that caused the others to be built, is the Pokémon Trainer's School in Hoenn.' I took a deep breath, realising I was blabbering. Strangely, N's silence after asking questions made him easy to talk to. 'That should be all your questions.'

He nodded slowly, as if processing the information. 'But why do I need to go?'

'Because even though Zorua's healthiness and glow,' Zorua puffed his chest out in pride, 'show that you know about Pokémon health care, not knowing about status ailments and treatment for those injuries is a problem for any sort of trainer.' I informed him flatly.

Before he could reply I stopped and went backtracked a little, realising that we had accidentally walked past the school. Scolding myself inwardly for my inattention, I went in, N and Zorua right behind me. Instantly, a low hum of chatter filled our ears as I saw many trainers, mostly on the younger side, standing around in groups, talking. An old man came up to us. 'Hello there. You were here for the gym leader's lecture? I'm afraid you just missed it. He left a moment ago.'

I smiled at him. 'Thank you but we're just here to learn about status effects on Pokémon…and well, people too.' I shrugged. They had the same effect on both of our species; it's just that one was less sensitive to it.

N stared at the old man but he didn't seem to notice. 'I'm afraid that there aren't any more lessons for today. But don't worry dearie, the gym leader left that information up on the board. They probably haven't rubbed it off yet so you could have a look now.'

'Thank you sir.' He nodded and left. I elbowed N, who had been staring after him. Zorua growled lightly at me; I ignored him. 'That was rude.'

'I don't believe I did anything that could be considered rude.' N told me calmly.

'Staring intensely at him was.' I retorted and walked towards the board, leaving N no choice but to follow.

We walked up and saw the writing was still there; scanning it I saw it was exactly what he needed. I turned to N and put my hands on my hips. 'Well,' I nodded towards it, 'start memorizing.' N stared at the board in fascination. I yawned, rubbing my eyes for a moment. This day was becoming tediously long. A low murmur caught my attention.

'When a Pokémon is poisoned its HP decreases while it is battling…'

I turned to see Cheren standing there, eyes fixated on the board. 'Cheren?'

He turned. 'White! You caught up. Did you come looking for the gym leader? He was just here. You might've walked past him.'

I shook my head. 'Nah, just helping N out.'

Cheren raised his eyebrows. 'N?' I indicated behind me, where the older male was still staring at the board. 'Are you sure this is a good idea?' Cheren whispered.

'He's harmless.' I whispered back. Cheren shrugged, accepting it. I returned to my normal tone. 'What are you doing here though?'

Cheren's eyes lit up. 'I attended the gym leader's lecture. You can never have too much knowledge. It was great listening to what he knew.'

I gave a wry grin. 'Going to use it against him?'

'No way!' Cheren pulled out his badges' case, showing a glistening badge nestled safely there. 'I've already beaten the gym. It was a little tough though. Patrat wasn't quite up to it, so I gave him to Professor Juniper. She said it's been interesting to watch her two Patrat interact.'

I made a face. 'Cheren…if you stuck with Patrat I'm sure he would've gotten stronger.'

'You gave your Lillipup away.'

'Happy was willing but incapable. Your Patrat wasn't incapable; probably just got beaten by experience.' I scolded slightly.

'I'm looking for the strongest White. If I want to be Champion, I have to have the best.' Cheren stated. I frowned. 'Fine, I'll make a bet with you. Beat me in a battle and I'll try it your way. If I win, and I will, you have to accept my way of doing things. I think we're both good enough we can handle an inside match.'

I made a face. I wasn't really in a mood for a battle. I was about to refuse when I noticed it had gone quiet. Looking around I saw all the people in the room had gathered, eager to see a Pokémon battle. Even N was looking at us now, though it was with a slight frown at Cheren. I sighed. 'Fine. Let's do this.'

Cheren looked pleased. I focused; just because I didn't originally want to battle didn't mean I was simply going to roll over. Knowing Cheren, he was going to begin with his starter Pokémon. I gripped a Pokéball.

'Go, Snivy!'

'Come on out Zara!'

I didn't usually care about type advantage. But I knew Cheren would more likely respect this bet and also have his pride less damaged if I played this by the book. Both Pokéballs hit the ground, bursting open. Snivy sneered at Zara, who growled a challenge.

Cheren pulled out his Pokédex. 'Huh, no data?'

'Regional Pokédex.' I explained. 'Won't have data on Pokémon found outside of Unova until Professor Juniper thinks we info on the ones in it. It's how it always works. But for your information, Zara's a Charmander and a fire type.'

Cheren frowned but put the Pokédex away. 'Snivy, Tackle!'

'Zara, Ember!'

The battle didn't last long. Zara's eagerness for battle and her type advantage overwhelmed Snivy. Triton had a little more difficulty with Cheren's new Purrloin but he still won his match. When Triton dealt the final blow there was a cheer in the classroom. Triton laughed and gave a little bow.

Cheren returned Purrloin to his Pokéball and walked over. 'Perhaps your way does show some good results.' He held his hand out.

It was the closest thing to an apology Cheren could give. I smiled and shook his hand. 'Yeah, it can be hard to find balance but the results are worth it.' The crowd began dispersing, now the battle was clearly over.

Cheren pushed his glasses up his nose as he considered me. 'You should challenge the gym. I reckon you might win.'

I frowned. 'Why does everyone want me to take on the gyms?'

'Well you could win. And getting badges is important.' Cheren informed me.

'Hmm….' I suddenly realised N was still behind me. I turned to see him looking as if he was about to burst-no doubt through curiosity. I sighed and turned back to Cheren. 'I have to help this guy, so I got to go. It'll be a while.'

Cheren shrugged. 'I'll come. Now the gym leader's gone I have nothing else to do in Striaton.'

I walked out of the school and started to head to the Pokémon Centre. 'Okay N, shoot.'

'Shoot what?' N asked, confused.

I sighed. He was amazingly ignorant for a boy his age. 'Ask your questions. BUT, one at a time.' I cautioned, before he overwhelmed me.

There was a pause. 'It's strange. Trainers force Pokémon to participate in battles but your Pokémon seem to love it.'

It wasn't really a question but I answered anyway, 'Well Zara just likes battling. She likes it. With Triton, I don't think it's the battling so much but the fact that we battle together. I mean, things are always fun when you do it with friends, right?'

N was silent for a moment. 'What about the Pokédex? How do you know so much about it?'

I smiled. 'I used to live in a place called Pallet Town, in Kanto. I used to spend a lot of time in Professor Oak's lab and I bugged him with questions all the time. If he didn't answer, I could always ask previous Pokédex Holders.'

'Professor Oak? I thought Professor Juniper gave you the Pokédex?'

'She did. She gave me one that I personally would own. I wasn't old enough so Professor Oak would only let me look. But you can learn a lot just by observing. I learnt heaps off him.'

'White's the reason Bianca and I have Pokédexes.' Cheren explained. 'When Professor Juniper wanted to learn about Pokémon in this region she went to White, who was recommended by Professor Oak, who then asked on our behalf as well.'

I shrugged. 'Well I couldn't do it alone. For one thing, there are three starters the Professor has-each one given to a different trainer to observe their behaviour and how they grow. I was only one person; Professor Juniper still had two more Pokémon so you two were the best options.'

N opened his mouth to ask another question when Zorua gave a yap. N looked at him and the Pokémon yapped again. 'Zorua's hungry.' N remarked.

Cheren and I looked at each other. 'I could so with some food.' Cheren said.

I looked at my Xtransceiver. 'I suppose we could do an early dinner.' I had a thought. 'You know what? I won some money off a few trainers earlier. My shout.'

Cheren thanked me but N frowned, 'Shout?'

I rolled my eyes. Cheren explained for me. 'It means she'll pay.'

N nodded thoughtfully. 'I know a good place.' I said, ignoring him. 'I'll lead the way.'

We headed off. I walked along the road, the two boys closely behind. I headed towards the café I had eaten at earlier. 'Here we are.' I said happily when we reached the building.

'White…' Cheren frowned. 'Why are we at the gym?'

I turned to look at him, frowning as well. 'What are you talking about? This is a café I had lunch at earlier. It was pretty good.'

'Well that's funny.' Cheren crossed his arms. 'Because I had a gym battle here earlier.' He replied with absolute certainty.

'Yeah but-'

'Hello White.'

We all turned to see Cilan coming out of the building. He smiled as he came to stand in front of us.

'Hi Cilan.' I shot Cheren a I-told-you-so look.

Cilan turned to Cheren. 'You're the challenger from earlier, Cheren, right?'

'Yes I am.' Cheren shot a I-told-you-so look right back at me.

'I believe there is some confusion as to the purpose of this establishment.' N put in quietly.

'Huh?' Cilan took a moment to process before a look of understanding dawned on his face. 'Oh, this building acts as both a gym and a café.'

'Oh. So we were both right.' I gave a rueful smile before realising the implications of this. 'Hang on. Cilan doesn't this mean…'

Cilan nodded. 'That's right. I'm the gym leader here.'

'He's the one who gave the lecture at the Trainer's School.' Cheren put in smugly.

'Why didn't you tell me?' I asked, exasperated.

Cilan looked confused. 'I assumed you knew. Most people who come to Striaton City knows about the gym.' I made a face. There were way too many gyms in the world for me to try and remember all the details of them. 'By the way, how was your crash course?'

There was a pause. 'Oops, I forgot.' I turned to N. 'Did you read the info?'

N nodded. 'Status ailments is a disability caused by moves a Pokémon makes that does not intend direct damage. There are three types of status ailments or effects; permanent, temporary and battle focused. Permanent statuses are ones which creates an effect on a Pokémon that remains until the Pokémon is healed, though sometimes the status may eventually fade on their own, often causing damage over time. This type of effect includes poison, paralysis, burn, freeze and sleep. Temporary statuses are ailments which will disappear after a certain amount of time or if a Pokémon is taken out of battle. This includes confusion, flinching, infatuation-'

'Stop!' I yelled. My head spun from the information N had rattled off extremely quickly. 'How on earth did you memorize all that so quickly?'

He looked confused. 'Was it wrong to?' I sighed, shaking my head.

Cilan looked impressed. 'I believe that was word for word of what I had written on the blackboard.'

'I wish I had your memory.' Cheren said wistfully.

I shook my head. 'More importantly, did you understand it?' I asked him.

N nodded slowly. 'I believe so. Though I must admit, I don't see the relation between status ailments, such as confusion, being healed by a Pokéball.'

'It's not really a healing. You just give the Pokémon some time by itself without distractions so it can focus again.' Cilan explained.

N still frowned. I sighed; it probably had something to do with his anti-Pokéball ideal. 'Giving them a Persim Berry is just as effective.' He commented.

'A what?' Cilan and Cheren chorused.

'Certain berries can be used the same way potions and other healing items can.' They both looked at me. I shrugged. 'My friend's family used to grow all sorts of berries on their farm; we learnt which berries did what. But those sorts of berries aren't native in Unova.' I turned to N. 'How do you know about them?'

'A man once gave me some seeds when I was a child. I planted them in a garden that lay outside my bedroom. Many Pokémon friends of mine would come and eat them.' N said simply.

'Well berries are rare here in Unova, so it's more effective to use a Pokéball and other man-made objects. The last thing you want is for a Poisoned Pokémon to be wasting their energy walking around while their bodies are trying to fight the toxins.' I replied.

'If Pokémon weren't forced to battle, we wouldn't need to rely on these objects.' N said mildly.

'Where's the fun in that?' Cheren muttered. He cleared his throat. 'Look, even in the wild, Pokémon use status ailments to attack. Knowing how to use these items means outsmarting them.'

'I prefer other methods.'

'And what happens if you're ever in a situation where those methods don't work? What would you do then?' Cheren challenged. I think he was irritated by N's outlook on Pokémon battles.

'It's good to know these things, even if you only end up deciding this way isn't for you.' Cilan said, trying to loosen the tense atmosphere.

N nodded. 'I concede that the spreading of awareness is an excellent position to take.'

'Back to the point,' I interrupted. 'N, do you understand how certain attacks cause certain effects and how you might treat it?'

'I understand this theory, yes.' N nodded again. Zorua yapped a few times. 'Zorua states that it might be good to see the theory in action though.'

Cilan nodded. 'Experience is the best teacher.' N nodded in agreement.

'And how do we do that now?' I pointed out. 'It's getting late. A lot of trainers will be eating dinner then crashing for the night.'

There was a pause as the others thought about it. 'Simple.' Cheren said, clapping his hands together. 'You challenge the gym White.'

I was shocked. 'Me? I said I didn't want to.'

'You said it yourself. You can learn heaps by observing.' Cheren said. 'N can watch while you take on the Striaton Gym.'

N nodded slowly. Cilan smiled. 'This sounds like an interesting plan.' Cilan grinned.

'Why not N?' I argued.

'He has no clue what he's doing.' Cheren said rudely. 'He can watch you first and then apply what he learnt, if he wants to challenge the gym as well.'

'I have to, to achieve my goal.' N stated.

'What goal?' I asked. Then I shook my head, turning back to Cheren before N could answer. 'Why are you so eager for me to challenge the gym?'

'Because it's weird that my rival doesn't have badges to show that she's capable of taking me on.' Cheren said flatly.

I was surprised. 'Rival?'

Cheren nodded. 'You've beaten me twice now. When I become Champion it won't feel right, unless I beat you as well to claim my spot. But if you're not going for Champion, how can I claim to be the strongest? So I need you to get the badges and enter the League.'

I laughed. 'So it's an entirely selfish reason that you want me to take on the gym.' I teased.

Cheren grinned, knowing I meant no offence. 'Exactly.'

I thought for a moment. 'But I want dinner.' I tried to resist.

'If you win the gym challenge, your meal is free.' Cilan put in.

The offer was tempting. A free meal for winning a battle. Cheren wanted me to enter the League, which I wasn't going to, but I suppose one badge couldn't hurt. It could be fun. I called Triton and Zara out. 'Do you guys want to challenge the Straiton Gym?' Triton chattered happily, content with my decision. I turned to Zara whose tail flame suddenly got brighter. She gave a little roar, her eyes shining. I laughed. 'I take that as a yes.' I turned to Cilan. 'I'm challenging you for a gym badge.'

He smiled. 'Well, you'll have to prove yourself worthy in taking on the Leader first. Come inside when you're ready.' He headed into the building.

I turned to Zorua. 'Sorry but you'll have to wait a little longer for your meal.'

Zorua yipped. 'He said it's fine.' N said quietly.

I turned to Cheren, hands on hips. 'Happy?'

He nodded. 'Very. You ready?'

I turned to my Pokémon. 'Let's do this.' I got two cries of approval.

* * *

><p><em>Somehow, Cheren's role in this story keeps on growing. He wasn't meant to play such an important role orginally but it just flowed. Oh well, if it works, awesome. Poor Bianca though; she's just been left behind. She'll have a more important role soon. <em>

_I did get stuck on this chapter. It had a lot more dialogue than planned and the gym challenge was meant to be in this one but then it went on way to long, so the gym's gonna have to wait until the next chap. It seems we're staying in Straiton a little longer than planned. _

_Less action in this chap but don't worry-next one will more than make up for it. Thanks for reading and reviews would be helpful!_


	5. Best Two out of Three

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon

**CHAPTER FIVE: BEST TWO OUT OF THREE**

* * *

><p>I pushed open the doors, N and Cheren right behind me. The café was just how I remembered, with people eating at the tables.<p>

'You must be the gym challenger!' A middle aged man with glasses came up to us, smiling. I nodded in response. 'My name is Clyde. I'm the gym caretaker.'

'…I still don't see how I could battle here without taking out all the customers as well.' I commented.

He grinned. 'Just hold on a moment.' He turned to the woman behind the counter. 'Nancy, if you please?'

The waitress nodded and pushed a button. There were some cries of shock as the floor slid open, moving the tables to the side. Three big buttons sat on the floor, with pictures of a leaf, water drop and flame on them respectively. I gaped as Triton jumped up and down excitedly and Zara watched the floor warily. I threw a glance at Cheren, who now had a smug look on his face.

'This gym tests your knowledge about Pokémon types. See that curtain? That's your way forward.' Nancy pointed to the red curtain that I had assumed was part of the décor. 'Each of these symbols represents a Pokémon type. You have to stand on the button of the Pokémon type that would have advantage over the one on the curtain before the curtain will open. If you get them all right, you get to face the gym leader. But there are other trainers waiting to test you as well. Good luck!'

There were low murmurs as the customers observed me. I blinked. I didn't realise I would have an audience when I faced the gym leader. I gulped, a little nervous. Taking a deep breath I stepped forward, now in the spotlight. There was a flame on the curtain. 'Advantage over a fire type huh?' I grinned at Triton before stepping on the water button. It glowed blue as the curtains gently slid open, revealing a larger building than I had originally assumed.

Fire beats grass, grass beats water and water beats fire. Simple. I had learnt that when I was three. There were two trainers as well, with Zara beating the first one and Triton beating the second. I grinned. Simple. Cheren and N watched silently as I opened the final curtain. There was a podium on which stairs lead up it. Cilan was standing at the top, waiting.

I got out two potions, healing my Pokémon quickly. I nodded at the boys following me and climbed up the stairs. 'I'm ready to face you Cilan.' I said as confidently as I could.

'It might not be Cilan you battle though.' I jumped as a red hair boy, a year younger than Cilan, also wearing a waiter's outfit, stepped out from behind Cilan, standing at his right. 'You might be facing the awesome Chilli!' He boasted.

'Or you might be facing me.' A smooth voice interjected. A blue haired boy, a year older than Cilan, stepped out to stand at his left. 'It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Cress.'

'Hang on. Don't tell me I have to face all of you at once.' I panicked. I only had two Pokémon!

'That's not how this gym works.' Cheren looked smug in his knowledge.

'Oh, you're the challenger from earlier, Cheren!' Chilli said excitedly. 'Hah, you sure put my fire out!'

'You see White, who you face depends on your starter Pokémon.' Cilan explained. 'We three are brothers, who share the responsibility of being gym leader.'

'We're here to test if you know the basics of Pokémon, especially the bond between you and your starter. We each have our own speciality type, to cater for each trainer.' Cress added.

'So I have to use my starter?' I asked. All three nodded in confirmation. 'Okay.'

'The three brothers of Striation.' N looked thoughtful. 'Chilli, the fire user, Cilan, the grass expert and Cress, the water specialist. I read about this gym in a book once.'

'Aw, how flattering that you looked up info about us!' Chilli grinned.

'I have to have knowledge of the gyms if I wish to defeat the Champion.' N said lightly.

There was a pause. 'So you're my rival too huh?' Cheren muttered.

'Are you here for a gym battle as well?' Cress asked.

'I'm only here to observe White's battle for now. I will challenge you eventually though.'

'Brothers.' Cress said commandingly. The three huddled together, having a whispered discussion.

I sighed. After being convinced into a gym battle, it seemed it would never happen. I tapped Triton's Pokéball lightly, thinking about which strategies I should employ with him.

'Why don't you two have a double battle?' Chilli's voice interrupted my thoughts.

'Huh?' I was confused.

'You said earlier that this battle was to teach N but experience is the best teacher. If you work together, you can both practice and observe each other's style.' Cilan said mildly.

'A double battle.' I was getting excited. So far I had been in singular battles; I couldn't wait to try out a double battle. 'Up for it?' I asked N. He was silent, which I chose to take as acquiesce. I turned to the brothers. 'You're on.'

'So what are your starters?' Cress asked.

'Mine's Triton, an Oshawott.' I smiled.

'Pokémon agree to work with me; I don't continuously force the same Pokémon into battles.' N stated.

There was another pause. 'What does that mean?' Cheren asked.

'The Pokémon I battled with the first time is no longer with me. Zorua's the only one with me at the moment.' N indicated towards the Pokémon who was still in his arms.

The brothers looked at each other and shrugged. 'Ok, you can use Zorua.' Cress said. 'Now, as Triton is a water type, Cilan, you will be one of the battlers.'

'Hang on; a dark type Pokémon isn't weak or strong against any of your specialty types.' Cheren butted in. 'How do you battle trainers who don't have Pokémon that comply with your specialty types?'

'Normally we just draw straws.' Cilan said. 'But since Chilli battled this morning, Cress why don't you join this double battle?'

'Sounds like a plan.' Cress nodded.

Chilli looked a little disappointed but simply said, 'Come on Cheren. We'll watch from the sidelines.' The two moved to the side.

'This is a gym battle between gym leaders Cress and Cilan, against challengers White and N.' Cress said formally. 'You can use up to two Pokémon each, one of which must be your starter. Match begin.'

I threw out Triton's Pokéball while Zorua hopped out of N's arms and onto the field. Triton screamed a challenge as Cress and Chilli's Pokéballs landed in front of here. Two Lillipups came bursting out, barking challenges.

'Lillipup, Work Up!' The brothers chorused.

Both puppy Pokémon concentrated, raising their powers. It gave me a quick opportunity to try and think of a strategy. I shrugged mentally. I suppose it didn't really matter. 'Triton, Water Gun!'

'Zorua, Fury Swipes.' N made the call at the same moment I did.

Triton sprayed water at the Lillipup in front of him, causing it to stumble back. Cress' Lillipup was knocked back several times as Zorua hit him again and again. Both opposing Pokémon looked heavily injured. I grinned at the quick battle this would be.

'Lillipup, Bite!' Cilan called.

'Lillipup, Leer!' Cress said at the same time.

Cilan's Lillipup bit hard into Triton, causing him to yelp. Cress's Lillipup glared at Zorua, not causing damage but I know that Leer lowers defence.

'Tackle!' I yelled.

'Zorua, Scratch please.' N said a moment after me.

When the attacks hit, both Pokémon fainted. Triton cheered and I grinned at the easy first round. The second one would be a cinch. I looked over to see N looking sadly at the two Lillipup as they were returned to their Pokéballs. When I looked at the gym leaders though, they just smiled at each other.

'Pansage, time for a feast! Cilan eagerly threw a Pokéball out.

'Panpour, show them a battle!' Cress said at the same time.

The two balls landed at the same time, opening to reveal two monkey-like Pokémon, one with green leaf-like hair, the other with blue, smoother hair. They looked confident, cheerfully greeting each other before turning to face us.

I bit my lip. I knew from the previous discussion that Triton would be weak to one of the Pokémon, meaning a grass type would be involved in the battle. The problem was that this was a double battle, with Cress battling with a water type. While Zara would have an advantage over a grass Pokémon, she would be weak to a water type. It would be better to play it safe for now. 'Triton, think you can hold on for a bit?' Triton nodded, determination on his face.

It would be better to try and weaken the water type before bringing Zara out to finish up Pansage. 'Alright Triton, Tackle that Panpour!'

'Zorua, Scratch.'

As Triton leapt towards Panpour, he smashed into Zorua, who also had leapt forward to hit the same Pokémon. Both were injured, though the monkeys remained uninjured, laughing.

I gaped at the scene. I turned to N, annoyed. 'What were you doing? Didn't you hear me tell Triton to hit Panpour! Why did you try to hit the same one?'

N frowned. 'I thought you would go for Pansage; it's how we dealt with the Lillipup.'

There was a laugh. I turned to see Chilli grinning at us. 'It's not one on one kiddos! This is a double battle; you better learn fast or you're going to get creamed!'

'Vine Whip!'

'Fury Swipes!'

I turned my attention back to the battle to see Triton get hit by both Vine Whip and Fury Swipes. Crying out for a second, he instantly fainted, from the combination of the two attacks. Calling him back, I silently apologised. I pulled out Zara. 'Come on girl, let's win this.' She roared in approval.

'Let's do that combo again!' Cilan called.

'Zara dodge it!' I called.

Zara dodged right and the attacks went straight past her. However, they weren't aimed at her but at Zorua, who yelped with pain. He stumbled but got shakily to his feet again. I frowned, until I remembered that the Leer attack had weakened Zorua. Then I realised it. It was part of their strategy. Taking out Triton meant I was forced to bring out Zara, who was weak to water type moves and could be easily taken out by Panpour. Lillipup had lowered Zorua's defence before and now Cilan and Cress were attacking together, knowing N only had one Pokémon. Once Zorua was taken out, I was an easy target for a double hit.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, realising where I was so blind before. I turned to N. 'Right, if we're going to win this, we have to act as a team.' He nodded. 'If I'm right, they're going to aim for Zorua. I say we use their strategy against them. Just follow my lead.' I turned back to the battle before he could say anything. 'Zara, Ember! Aim for Pansage!' The gym leaders would think I was talking to Zara but I hoped N understood.

Zara spat fire towards Pansage. An order from Cress sent Panpour in to take the hit, the Pokémon receiving little damage. As I hoped however, N had taken the hint, and Zorua smashed into Pansage with a powerful Fury Swipes, that must've taken out half of Pansage's HP. Leaping back he stood proudly next to Zara, waiting for the next move.

Cress nodded. 'Clever move. But it's our turn. Panpour, get that Charmander!'

'Pansage, finish off Zorua!'

'Distract Panpour!' I yelled at N. 'Zara, jump and Ember, straight at Pansage!'

Zara leapt in the air and I hoped that a spray of water wouldn't smash her while she was there. Her Ember hit Pansage hard and she landed safely, growling in happiness when she saw her super effective attack knock Pansage out of the battle. I turned to see Zorua finish off what looked to be a brilliant Fake Tears move, as Panpour looked especially flustered, distracted from attacking Zara. Glancing at Cilan long enough to see a look of respect in his eyes, I nodded to N. 'Let's finish this. Zara, Scratch!'

'You too, Zorua.'

'Panpour, Water Gun!' Cress called out, though I could see he knew it was over.

While the attack did hit Zara, and cause a lot of damage, Zara pulled through to land a Scratch attack at the same time as Zorua. Panpour fainted and I ran to give Zara a hug, who was giving a series of small roars as her way of cheering. I gave Zorua a huge scratch behind the ears, who looked pleased by the attention, before running off to N. I turned to N to celebrate with him, before being pulled short by the clouded expression on his face. Zorua, who had looked so happy before, was now a bit gloomy, his ears drooping as if he was feeling guilty over something.

Footsteps behind me caused me to refocus. Cress had returned Panpour back to his Pokéball. He was smiling. 'Congratulations on victory.'

Cilan, Chilli and Cheren had come to stand with him. Cilan was nodding. 'It was. You were a bit rocky at the beginning but the two of you managed to pull it together and show some brilliant teamwork, which is the fundamental part of double battles.'

Chilli slapped N on the back in excitement, who winced in pain. 'You guys were awesome! Really heated up the place!'

Cheren came to stand next to me. 'Yes, you really are worthy of being a rival. And I got some good notes on double battles.' I grinned at him, knowing it was his way to say congratulations.

'Here.' I turned to see Cilan holding out two badges. 'Here's the Trio Badge, proof you won at the Striaton Gym.' I took mine and put it in my bag. N took his reluctantly, slipping it into his pocket. 'Now, you were originally here for dinner, I believe?'

I laughed. 'Yeah, I'm starving!'

'We'll go prepare something then.' Cress said politely, ushering his two brothers into the kitchen.

'Let's go grab a seat.' Cheren said, quickly moving to a table.

'Hey N, thanks for the support during the battle. You know...,' I turned to face him, only to find he was gone. Frowning, I looked around to see him leaving the gym. I hesitated before signing to Cheren I would be right back and ran after him. I caught him outside. 'N, wait up!'

He stopped and turned, a strange look on his face. 'What is it White?'

'What do you mean?' I was confused. 'We just won a gym battle and you didn't even say bye. Besides, didn't you want dinner?'

He stared at me, expression still strange, long enough to make me uncomfortable. 'Today wasn't like anything I've ever witnessed before.'

'What, surely you've seen Pokémon battles before?' He couldn't be _that_ sheltered.

'I meant that I've never seen Pokémon happy to battle.' He began to speak faster now, his tone becoming upset. 'I've always hated gyms, that Pokémon are forced to battle day after day. But Triton and Zara; they were so happy to be in battle, happy to be battling for you. No, I should say with you because you were battling alongside them, you were excited with them. Even Zorua was excited to be there; even I got caught up in it. For a moment, I was happy to be battling. And I'm horrified by that.' I now understood why Zorua was upset before; he must've felt bad about enjoying himself.

'There's nothing wrong with enjoying yourself in battle.' I told him gently. N looked as if he was about to crack. 'Pokémon battles are meant to be fun. I sure wouldn't be battling if I didn't enjoy them and part of it is connecting with your Pokémon. Look at Pansage and Panpour.'

'But they didn't. All I heard them say was that it was another battle to fight.'

'It is part of their job. But you can both do your job and enjoy it you know.' I thought Pansage and Panpour looked pretty happy. But I had to remember this was N's delusional talk again.

N stared at me again for another long moment. 'No, no, it must be you. There must be something about you that's different, that affects Pokémon so much. You are most likely an anomaly in the human race. Yes, that would explain a lot.' He seemed to calm down at his conclusion.

I didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted so I chose to ignore it. 'Well the battle's past and it's too late to be thinking too much on it now.' My stomach growled. 'Look I've had a big day and I'm starving. Dinner's waiting for me inside. You coming?'

I turned and walked back into the gym/café, hearing N's footsteps follow me quietly.

* * *

><p><em>Woops, sorry for the gap between chapters. I went away for a while and then got majorly distracted for several weeks. Hopefully I can upload a new chapter soon after this one. <em>

_Anyway, excited for the gym battle to be over! Not much to say this time other than thanks for reading! _


	6. Dreams & Fights

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

**DREAMS & FIGHTS**

* * *

><p>'<em>Come on, come on!' I ran ahead, calling for Black and Em to follow. <em>

'_Don't run with the baskets! It'll bruise the berries! Dad said to make sure they aren't bruised this time!' Em called after me in panic. _

_I reluctantly slowed down, waiting for them to catch up. Black walked by with a look of superiority on his face, though he stuck his tongue out at me as he passed. I stuck my tongue out at his back as he walked ahead. Em laughed as she finally caught up and we walked together. Em's parents had asked us to go get a variety of berries from their little orchard and we had eagerly left the house, empty baskets in hand. We were now headed back, baskets filled, walking by the fence that lay next to the road. Em climbed onto the top fence railing and was walking along the top, balancing easily. Black and I had tried it before with disastrous consequences, though if it wasn't for the berries we were holding, I suspect we would've tried it again. _

_We were halfway there when we heard a yelp of pain. Curious, we saw a traveller and a Pokémon-a Poochyena-lying in front of him. The man yelled something incomprehensible and the Poochyena struggled for a moment before collapsing. He swore and kicked it again, Poochyena letting out another yelp of pain. _

'_Stop that!' Em yelled. Before we could stop her Em jumped off the fence, her basket falling and scattering berries all over the road. She ran over and stood in front of the Poochyena, who had passed out. 'He's hurt! Leave him alone!' _

_The man staggered. 'He's my Pokémon lil' gurl. S'none of your business wha' I do.' The man slurred. He was clearly very drunk. _

'_You can't hurt a Pokémon like this!' Em stood firmly, glaring at him. _

'_Git lost. Move outta the way before you rigret it.' He snapped. _

_Em held her arms out, blocking him. 'No.' _

_He slapped her hard, sending her tumbling to the ground. Black and I called out, horrified. We tried to scramble through the fence to get to Em. She sat up, glaring at the man. Her expression seemed to set him off and he kicked her, again and again. Black and I ran up and grabbed an arm each but despite being drunk, he was very strong. He roared in fury and shook us off. He went to kick Em again, who was now curled up in pain, when a strange light began glowing from our right. We all looked over to see Pixie, the Ninetales belonging to Em's father, standing there, tail blown out, each of its nine tips glowing red, preparing for an attack. Cursing, fear in his eyes, the man stumbled away, running away from the clearly vengeful Ninetales. _

'_Em…' Black and I crawled over to Em, who groaning. _

'_Is Poochyena okay?' She managed to whisper. _

_After that, we managed to load Em up onto Pixie, with me riding behind her to keep her on board and Black carrying to injured Poochyena, hurrying beside us. We couldn't do anything faster than a quick walk because the short run that Pixie had managed had sent Em off screaming in pain. When we managed to get back to the house Em's parents quickly took her to the hospital, while an assistant of theirs took Poochyena to the Pokémon Centre. The police were called and Black and I were required to give a statement, describing the incident and then the appearance of the man. It turned out that Pixie, who had run of the farm, had been passing by when he saw us and saved us. _

_Em had gained some rib fractures, and she was confined to bed for several weeks, taking her several more before she could do anything strenuous. The police had caught the man three weeks later, after he was involved in a bar fight. Poochyena was worst off; his right back paw had become infected and there was nothing that could be done but to amputate the limb. Em's parents took care of him but he had a phobia of people which I'm not sure he ever really got over. _

_Black and I had yelled at Em for charging in but she never apologised for it and it was the first real fight we had ever gotten into. Eventually we all moved on, getting distracted by the world, as little children do._

* * *

><p>'You think he would leave a note or something.' I grumbled, walking out of the Pokémon Centre.<p>

After dinner last night N had left but Cheren and I chatted for a while. We ended up crashing in the Pokémon Centre, eventually being woken by the Nurse and led into our rooms. So this morning I had gotten up and waited for him in the foyer for an hour until the busy Nurse had noticed me and informed me that he had already left earlier that morning.

I sighed. 'I suppose it is Cheren though.' I told Triton and Zara, who were plodding along next to me. I stretched, shaking away the stiffness that comes with sitting still for a long time.

'White!' I turned to see a woman in a lab coat hurrying up to me.

'Professor Fennel!' I had met the eccentric young professor once before, when she came to visit Professor Juniper in Nuvema Town.

'Thank goodness I managed to catch you before you left. I think I have something that'll help you on your journey. Follow me!' She hurried off so I had no choice but to follow. Seeing we were headed inside, I quickly returned Triton and Zara to their Pokéballs. I followed her into a house and upstairs into what seemed to be her lab.

I grinned at the sight of the other person waiting there. 'Bianca!'

She grinned back. 'White! How are you?'

I shrugged. 'Pretty good. When did you get to Striaton?'

'This morning. Professor Fennel found me as soon as I walked in.'

'Don't worry. I won't keep you too long, hopefully.' Fennel smiled as we turned our attention back to her. 'First off, here. This is a Hidden Machine, or HM01, to start with. It contains Cut, which will remove any bushes or small trees in the way. You can teach it to certain Pokémon.' We both took the small discs she held out to us. 'Now, I'd like to ask you a favour. Have you been to the Dreamyard yet?' I nodded while Bianca shook her head. 'It's a place on the outskirts of Striaton. There's a Pokémon there named Munna which releases Dream Mist. I need it for my research. Amanita over there needs some as well.' She nodded to the young woman who was standing next to a weird bed contraption.

'I think I can use the Dream Mist to improve the PC system.' Amanita said, pushing the glasses up her nose. Seeing the blank looks on our faces she explained, 'I created the trainers' PC box system.'

'So, would you get some Dream Mist? I understand if you're busy.' Fennel waited for an answer.

Bianca and I looked at each other and smiled. 'Of course. We don't mind.' Bianca answered.

'Great! Well, good luck.' She waved us off as we headed to the Dreamyard.

As we walked, Bianca told me about the training she did on Route 2 and also her excitement about her first night roughing it. Route 2 was relatively easy in terms of camping but Bianca was so excited, I was really happy for her. I filled her in about Team Plasma, Happy, Zara, N and the gym battle, which she seemed overly excited about. 'Well if you and Cheren each have a badge, maybe I'll try for one as well.'

I thought about Bianca in a gym battle. It was a little strange to imagine but it would be good for her. 'Go for it!' I encouraged her. By this time we had entered the Dreamyard and were looking for a way into the ruins. I spotted a small bush. 'Looks like here's a good spot to enter. Let's see…' I pulled out Triton. 'Do you want to learn Cut?' He nodded. I gently pressed the machine up against his head and it whirred before clicking silent. Triton shook himself off and nodded. 'Ok Triton, Cut that bush!' Triton pulled the scalchop off his front and formed it into a blade. He slashed at the bush until it had been cut into pieces. Smiling proudly, he put the scalchop back. 'Thanks Triton.' I nodded at Bianca and we crawled through the gap.

'Wow, Triton's gotten strong.' Bianca admired Triton when she had crawled through. He puffed up his chest, making me laugh. Bianca suddenly cocked her head. 'Did you hear that?'

'Hear what?' I listened for a moment. 'I don't hear…' A very soft _'muuuunnnnnn' _came from the other side of the wall.

I held a finger up to my lips and we carefully sneaked into the ruins. A small pink ball Pokémon with flowers over it was floating in the middle of the courtyard. I quietly pulled out my Pokédex and looked it up. _Munna. The Dream Eater Pokémon. Psychic Type._ I smiled. We'd already managed to find the Pokémon we were looking for. This should be an easy mission.

'Oh! Wait!' Bianca half-whispered, getting up to chase after the Munna. I pulled her down, hushing her and trying not to laugh when I saw Triton try and copy me. Luckily it didn't notice and simply floated slowly towards some patches of grass. I motioned towards Bianca and we made a quick dash across to some oil drums, hiding behind them, peering out to make sure we hadn't startled Munna away. I thought for a moment. Best way to get Dream Mist would be to try and get as close as possible to Munna and slowly approach it to try and get excess Dream Mist, which I assumed was the light pink smoke floating around its body.

'Found you!' Two people jumped out of the bushes, scaring Munna who floated backwards. One ran round to cut the Pokémon off. 'Come on, make some Dream Mist!' One of them screamed at it. The Munna simply whimpered.

'Hey!' Bianca jumped out from behind the drums, me following closely behind. Without the drums in the way, I recognised the uniform of Team Plasma. 'Who are you? What are you doing scaring Munna like that?' It's rare to see Bianca mad but when she is, it's a glorious sight because, being Bianca, her emotions are never mild. Heat seemed to radiate off her as she glared at the Plasma members.

They turned to us, looking irritated. The male spoke up. 'Are you talking about us?' I rolled my eyes. Who else was here? 'We're Team Plasma. We battle day and night to liberate Pokémon from foolish humans!' He cried out in a magnificent voice.

'If you're liberating Pokémon what are you doing in a place where almost no trainers visit?' I pointed out. After all, the trainers were all on the other side of the wall.

'The Pokémon Munna and Musharna emit a mysterious vapour called Dream Mist, which shows people's dreams. We're going to use that to make people want to release their Pokémon. We'll show them dreams to manipulate their hearts.' The female member boasted proudly.

'Shut up you idiot.' The man hissed at her. 'Don't tell them our plans.'

'Well stop wasting time.' She hissed back.

Annoyed, the man swore at her. He stomped the ground in anger but it didn't seem to satisfy him. He turned and smashed his foot into Munna, who cried out in pain. 'Come on!' He yelled. 'Spit out that Dream Mist!'

'Stop it!' Bianca cried. If possible she was even angrier, though that emotion was in war with her distress over Munna. She wasn't the only one; I was getting extremely pissed as well. 'You're kicking a Pokémon to make it give off Dream Mist? That's mean! Why? You're trainers too!'

The woman sneered at us. 'That's right. We're Pokémon trainers too but we're fighting for a different reason. Unlike you two, we're fighting for the freedom of Pokémon!'

The man advanced on us. 'And setting Pokémon free means that we win Pokémon battles and take Pokémon by force.' Triton jumped in between us, crying out a warning for him to back off. He glared at Triton. 'So, on that note, we are going to rescue your Pokémon from you!'

'Bianca, get back!' I pulled my friend behind me as the man threw out a Patrat.

'Don't you dare hurt White!' Bianca screamed at them.

'Don't let him win Triton.' I growled, glaring at the man. Triton nodded, taking a deep breath and focusing. Oddly enough, Triton glowed briefly for a moment. I recognised the light as a Focus Energy move.

'Patrat, Tackle!' The Patrat threw itself forward and hit Triton, though the Oshawott barely felt it, only stumbling slightly.

'Let's finish in one go! Triton, Water Gun!' I called out. Triton released a jet of water directly into the Patrat and his anger and the Focus Energy led to a critical hit, knocking the Patrat out in one go. I felt immensely proud of Triton.

'Were you not taking them seriously because they're kids?' The woman sneered, shoving the man aside. 'I'm next!'

I prepared myself but the battle went exactly the same as the previous battle, except that the opponent was a Purrloin. Normally people learn from observing other battles but in this case, it was a good thing she hadn't because it made for a very quick battle.

The man gaped at us. 'I can't believe we lost.' He managed to gasp out. He shook himself. 'But we have to get that Dream Mist.' He ran to the cowering Munna and kicked it again.

Bianca was screaming foul things but I no longer heard her. Team Plasma spouted ideas of Pokémon Liberation and helping them and here were two of its members beating a Pokémon who hadn't done anything to provoke them. I didn't like their idealism but the sight of these hypocrites and remembering poor Laura, who had wept over their words that sent me over the edge. Now I understand why Em had reacted that way over Poochyena, so many years ago. Because she saw red at that man's very wrong actions.

So do I.

Shoving the woman out of the way, I screamed at the man, running at him and tackling him to the ground. I threw a punch at his eye while Bianca and Triton held the woman back. The man roared in anger and threw me off him. I yelped in pain as my head hit the ground and he advanced, about to hit me when we all seemed to feel a heavy presence. Looking up, the man looking behind him, I was surprised to see Ghetsis standing there. 'What are you two doing goofing off?' He asked mildly, though there was a dangerous look in his eye. A shuffle made us look around, all of us shocked to see another Ghetsis standing there. There was confusion as we looked back at forth at them. 'We, Team Plasma, shall separate Pokémon from foolish people!' A shift in the air and the two Ghetsis vanished, another one standing behind the Munna. 'If you cannot fulfil your duties…' His voice trailed off.

The two Plasma members seemed to shudder. 'T-this isn't Ghetsis when he's gathering followers…Or when he is trying to control people by tricking them with speeches.'

'Yeah…' The guy nodded fervently in agreement. 'This is when he's about to issue punishment for failing…'

'Let's hurry and apologise! He might let us off!' The girl said. Scared as rabbits being hunted, they ran off quickly, away from the Dreamyard.

'White…' Bianca and Triton hurried up to me, extremely worried.

I groaned as I sat up. 'I'm ok, just a headache.'

'Team Plasma…' Bianca shuddered. 'How could they do this?' She got up and gently began to approach the Munna. It cowered in fear at her. 'It's ok, I won't hurt you. I have something that might help.' She said softly. It let her come up and she used a Potion, spraying it on the Pokémon. It instantly began healing. 'Better?'

It nodded and curled up to Bianca, getting her to gently stroke its head. Bianca giggled at its antics.

'Shaaar!' A call made us turn around. A larger ball like Pokémon, smoke coming out of its head and with a purple body came up to us. It looked a little hostile. Triton prepared himself to battle. It glared at Bianca who backed away from Munna, coming to my side. It seemed to relax a tiny bit, though it still looked at us warily. The Munna and it began conversing in their Pokémon language.

'White, that person called Ghetsis who appeared all over the place…it wasn't real, right? What was it?' Bianca asked softly, watching the exchange.

'I'm not sure. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me after I hit my head.' I whispered back though my tone was blunt.

'No…we all saw it. Maybe it was a dream…' Bianca looked thoughtful. 'And that Pokémon…'

'Oh!' A voice made us look behind, to see Fennel hurrying up to us. The strange Pokémon was startled and backed up, Munna reluctantly following as it looked at Bianca. They stopped at the edge of the grass, continuing to converse.

'What is it Professor Fennel?' I asked quietly, so as not to scare the Pokémon again.

'I couldn't wait so I came over.' She took her cue from me, speaking quietly as well. 'Is that Musharna?'

Bianca pulled out her Pokédex and I looked over her shoulder. _Musharna. Drowsing Pokémon. Psychic Type. Evolved form of Munna._ 'Well, Professor, you see, Munna was here…But Team Plasma…and Munna! Then Musharna showed up and showed us some sort of dream? After that, Team Plasma ran away!'

A soft call made us look at the Pokémon again. Musharna was pushing Munna to go, though it looked like Munna was reluctant to. Eventually it left, though Musharna expelled a small pink cloud before leaving. I took a flask Professor Fennel had given me out and Triton used his Scalchop to fan the smoke in.

Meanwhile, Fennel and Bianca continued talking. 'I think I followed that…' Fennel frowned. 'I think Musharna, seeing Munna in trouble, used its power-making dreams into reality-to save it.' I held out the filled flask. 'Is this Dream Mist?'She asked excitedly. 'I can complete my research now!'

I nodded but the action sent my swaying. Both of them grabbed an arm. 'Are you ok?' Fennel asked.

'Hit my head.' I mumbled.

'Ok, why don't you two come back to my house and we'll get you checked up?' I simply swayed, but she took that as silent assent. She helped me stand, supporting me and turned to leave. Triton jumped up on my shoulder, grabbing a ride.

'Go ahead.' Bianca said firmly. 'I'm going to make sure Munna's ok.'

We nodded and left. As soon as I reached Fennel's house, Amanita headed out to grab a doctor. She came back with the Doctor and Cilan, who happened to be passing by when they were hurrying here. By then my head had cleared, though I still had a headache but I still had to sit through his examination until the Doctor declared I had just hit my head hard. No other effects. I just took some painkillers and he left. I gave Fennel, Amanita and Cilan a quick rundown of what had happened with Team Plasma.

Cilan frowned. 'I know they do a lot of speeches but other than that, this is the first incident that involved violence that I've heard of. Maybe it was just these two.'

I shrugged silently. I still didn't like Team Plasma or trust them in any way but I didn't exactly have anything to say against that. I tuned out while the three discussed possibilities about the event. Instead, I scratched Triton on the head. I came back in at the end of the conversation to hear Cilan would consult his brothers over the event and that they would keep a lookout to make sure Team Plasma would no longer bother the Munna. 'Good.' I stood up. 'I'm sorry to be abrupt but if we're done is it alright if I leave?'

'Of course! Of course! Thank you for your help.' Fennel fussed over me though I reassured her I was fine.

'Going to challenge the next gym?' Cilan asked teasingly.

I made a face. 'Probably not.'

'You already won a badge?' Fennel asked. I nodded. 'Well here.' Out of a draw she pulled out a Badge Case. 'Take it as thanks for helping me out. If you do end up battling the gyms it'll come in handy.'

I took it, thanking her. I said my goodbyes and left the house. I jogged over to the fountain, wanting to leave the foul taste of Team Plasma far behind as soon as possible, and turned down a new path, knowing it would take me out of Striaton City. Seeing the exit I took Zara out as well, Triton hopping off my shoulder to say hi. 'Come on guys, next stop Nacrene City!'

* * *

><p><em>Another chapter done! It was shorter than I thought it would be but that's fine. I'm glad that we're finally out of Striaton City. Hurray for Bianca! I feel a bit bad for her though; she only appeared for a little bit in this chapter whereas Cheren had a big role in the last two. She'll be back soon though. And lastly, Team Plasma finally start showing their face. They'll be around a lot more after this (of course, you probably know that since you've probably played the games). <em>

_Otherwise, thanks for reading and please review!  
><em>


	7. Theft!

Disclaimer: I don'town Pokemon

**Chapter 7: Theft!**

* * *

><p>Well, my plan to reach Nacrene City by tonight was completely ruined the sight of the Daycares. I had heard the noises and had gone to explore, as trainers do. Walking up the steps I saw children and Pokémon running around. Seeing Triton and Zara, some kids had come running and I quickly snatched Zara up into my arms, making sure she didn't attack anyone under five. She didn't look happy at the sudden jerk but after seeing how Triton was being petted and cuddled she seemed to agree that it was a better choice.<p>

A young woman had come out and pulled the kids away from Triton but they had whined, giving me puppy dog eyes that I had no choice but to say I would stay for a while. They played with Triton while I watched, Zara still glued to my shoulder. I ended up staying for lunch and after the kids were settled, the young woman came over to me. 'Thanks so much for showing the kids your Oshawott. I'm sorry that they bothered you. I'm Alyssa.'

'White.' I shook my head. 'Don't worry about it. I offered. Besides, you're giving us a free lunch.' Triton and Zara were munching on sandwiches at my feet. 'You own the Daycare? It seems pretty popular.'

The woman nodded. 'I opened it up a few years ago. It's done well because of my parents' Pokémon Daycare next door. Kids wanted the opportunity to play with Pokémon and learn more about them, as does their parents.'

I laughed. 'Of course. Hands on experience is the best!' Alyssa looked at me quizzically. 'When I was young my friend's family owned a Pokémon breeding and daycare centre. We used to, that is me and my brother, go over and help all the time.'

'Really, which one?' She asked, curious.

'In Kanto.' I explained quickly. 'I lived there for a few years before moving here.'

'Did they specialise in anything?'

'Sort of. They bred a lot of Pokémon but they focused on starter Pokémon for new trainers. Mainly native Pokémon from Kanto and Johto. At least, that's what they did. They left it to their sister's family when they moved to Hoenn to help their grandparents' Daycare/breeding centre.' I shrugged. 'I only visited there a few times but it runs pretty similar.'

'Do you mean the Firefly Daycare and Breeding Centre?' She asked.

I nodded. 'You've heard of it?'

Alyssa nodded. 'My grandmother was the sister to the owner.'

'So you're second cousin or something like that, to Em!' I got excited. I really missed my best friend from Kanto.

She nodded again. 'I've only met her once or twice though. It's hard considering my family's scattered all over the globe. Maybe you should talk to my parents. They might know her a little better. You'd have to wait until later though. Dad's sightseeing Unova at the moment so he won't be back for a few weeks.'

'Miss White, Miss White!' Before I could reply a little girl came up to me. 'Can I play with Oshawott?'

'Jessie, I think Miss White needs to leave now.' Alyssa said.

I looked at Triton who smiled, jumping up. 'It's ok. I can stay a little longer. I think Triton would like to play.'

'Is Triton his name?' Jessie asked. I nodded. She giggled and grabbed the Oshawott's arm. 'Let's play Triton!'

'It looks like lunchtime is over.' Alyssa got up, stretching. 'Thanks again. Leave when you want to ok?'

I nodded and turned to Zara who was looking at me warily, worried I would send her off to play with children. 'You up for some training?' She growled happily in return.

I headed outside, not wanting any kids to get hurt as we trained. For a moment I stared at her. I knew if I levelled her up, she would learn some moves automatically. However, I knew it was possible to teach Zara moves outside of her natural learning ability. 'Alright Zara, let's learn something new today. Umm, let's try focusing power into your Scratch before using it.'

After several failed attempts at trying to learn a new move, by running and using Ember at the same we found Zara coating herself with flames and causing more damage. Looking at my Pokédex, I saw it identify the move as Flame Charge. I was about to return inside when a passing trainer, no doubt heading towards the Daycare, challenged me to a battle. Zara and I defeated him easily but somehow that brought out a string of challengers. They all seemed to be coming after having battled at the gym all day. Zara and I managed to beat every single one but after the seventh I could see she was getting tired.

I headed back into the childcare and saw the children preparing for an afternoon nap time. I waited quietly before picking Triton up. Alyssa came to say goodbye. When she saw Zara she managed to heal her up before I left. I headed along Route 3 until I reached a patch of grass. The talk with Alyssa had reminded me of Em's gift, which had been forgotten when I received Zara. With my Pokémon by my side, I took out the little white flute and blew. A pure tone drifted through the air. There was a pause before there was a rustling and a pink and yellow Pokémon popped out. Flicking open my Pokédex I scanned it. _Audino, The Hearing Pokémon, Normal Type_. I got excited. Possibly a new Pokémon for me to catch. 'Go for it Zara!' She sprung forward excitedly. 'Let's try Flame Charge!'

Zara hit the Audino with a Flame Charge. The Audino stumbled back before responded with a DoubleSlap attack. It hit Zara three times before wearing out. 'Ember! And Flame Charge again!' I called out. Zara's speed allowed her to hit hard and fast. Audino was knocked out before I realised. I began to swear when Zara began glowing. 'Zara?'

She growled and glowed brightly for a moment, changing shape as she did so. When the glow faded she was no longer a Charmander but a Charmeleon. 'Zara, you evolved!' I clapped in excitement. Zara looked down and growled in pleasure at her new form.

Triton walked up to her, a frown on his face. He jumped up and down, trying to match her new height. 'Sorry Triton, you'll have to train some more to evolve.' He looked cross for a moment before shooting a jet of water at me.

'Ah!' I yelled and ducked but it didn't matter. Triton's Water Gun hadn't been aimed at me but rather at a bird Pokémon that had been about to attack me. It fainted instantly. I laughed. 'You're so strong that evolving shouldn't be too far away.'

Triton and Zara trained some more, as each step we took in the grass brought on more Pokémon. Some were new; such as the Audinos, the bird Pidoves and electric Blitzles while Patrats, Lillipups and Purrloins were becoming a familiar sight.

Eventually, the effects of the White Flute faded. Less Pokémon were jumping out at us. I slipped my Pokémon some potions and headed out of the grass. Just as I was about to turn down the path to Nacrene a voice called out. 'White, stop!'

I turned in surprise. 'Cheren? I thought you went ahead of me?'

'I attended some more lessons at the Trainer School before training at the Dreamyard. I've improved somewhat.' He pushed his glasses up his nose. 'I want to test some new moves. Up for a battle?'

I shrugged. 'Why not? Zara, you're up first!'

'Snivy!'

With Flame Charge underneath her belt, and her evolved form giving her extra strength, Zara beat Cheren's Snivy easily. I swapped Pokémon as Cheren brought out Purrloin. Triton's only problem was when he was hit by a Vine Whip brought about by an Assist. Otherwise, Triton managed to defeat Purrloin easily. He glowed for a moment before he too, evolved. 'Awesome Triton!' I brought out my Pokédex, to see he was now a Dewott. Triton pulled out his two scalchops, making them shine at the edge before slashing forward. My Pokédex registered this move as Razor Shell. 'You learnt a new move! That's so cool!' He looked proud.

A low grumbling next to me made me look at Zara. Her eyes glinted before she lifted her snout and released a purple-red ball of light, which chaotically jumbled together. It burst into the sky, showing a powerful attack. There was silence for a moment before Cheren spoke. 'My Pokédex says that move was Dragon Rage.'

I looked at Zara. 'You learnt a new move too?' She let out a snort in pride. 'Great job Zara!' She shot a smug look at Triton. I had to wonder when their rivalry had developed as it hadn't been present in Striaton City. 'Both of you take a break.' Cheren and I returned out Pokémon to their balls.

'Well, no wonder you won, considering how you have two evolv-'

'Out of the way!'

Cheren and I jumped back as we heard pounding feet. We just managed to get out of the way in time for two blue blurs to sprint past us and out of sight. 'What's the ru-'

'Get back here!'

We turned to see Bianca and, oddly enough, Laura come running up. It was Bianca, with one hand keeping her beret on, the other clutching her skirt to stop her tripping over the edge of it, who had called out angrily. Laura looked stricken as she they came to halt in front of us. 'Bianca, why are you running?' Cheren asked.

'Did you see where they went?' Bianca panted heavily as she asked. Her eyes were livid.

Cheren pointed silently behind us. 'Calm down. Tell us what happened.'

'You see I was passing by…and they surrounded Laura…and ran off! Those bullies!' Bianca panted.

I glanced at Cheren to see if he understood what Bianca was saying. He looked as confused as I felt. 'Laura, can you tell me what happened?'

Her eyes were desperate. 'I was headed to the Daycare, to meet a friend. I had Happy's Pokéball but these guys came up and took her from me! Bianca was passing by when they ran off and she's helping me try and get her back.' She looked worse than when she had heard Ghetsis' speech in Accumula.

'They stole her Pokémon!' Bianca added indignantly.

'Why didn't you say so earlier!' Cheren scolded. 'Bianca, you stay here! White and I will get Laura's Pokémon back!' With that he sprinted off.

Bianca looked a little hurt at his suggestion. I wondered why but shrugged it off for more important matters. 'We'll get Happy back, ok Laura?' She nodded. I whispered to Bianca. 'It does make sense. Both Cheren and I are better sprinters.' And don't have skirts that get in the way.

She nodded. 'Hurry back, alright?'

I nodded and ran to Alyssa. I explained the situation and she managed to hold off the children while healing my Pokémon. I sprinted back and then headed after Cheren. He was waiting impatiently in front of a cave. 'Where have you been?' He snapped.

'Healing my Pokémon.' I replied shortly. 'Are yours going to be ok? They were in worse condition than mine.'

'I used Potions to heal them on the way here.' He said irritably. 'I saw them head into this cave. Let's hurry.'

We walked in and headed forward. It wasn't too long before we heard voices. We followed them to see two people arguing among themselves. I signalled to Cheren and we hid behind a rock. 'Are we sure it's just the two of them?' I murmured quietly.

'Seems like.' Cheren murmured back.

I peeked out to spy on them. I finally saw what they were wearing. 'Plasma.' I hissed under my breath. My head throbbed at the memory of my last encounter with them. 'Be careful Cheren, these guys are-' I turned to see Cheren had gone. 'Wha-'

Raised voices made echoes within the cave, making the words indiscernible. However, that didn't stop me seeing Cheren arguing (he would probably call it reasoning) with the Plasma members. I swore under my breath and went out to join him. He turned when I came up beside him. 'These people won't listen to reason!' He said indignantly.

'I'm not surprised.' I looked at them in loathing.

The female member glared at me. 'That child cannot use a Pokémon to its full potential. Doesn't that make the Pokémon sad?'

I snorted. 'Of course she can't. She's still learning. But Happy chose to stay with Laura! Happy's not perfect either but they'll be their best when their together. She was my Pokémon originally but I could tell they suited each other.'

'You tossed the Pokémon aside in the first place? How dare you! Now we'll take your Pokémon from you!' She pulled out a Pokéball.

'Go for it Triton!' I sent him out without thinking. The grunt responded by sending out a Patrat. 'Razor Shell!'

The battle was over within seconds. The Patrat didn't stand a chance against Triton's power.

Cheren snorted in laughter. 'You've got no choice. Give Happy back to Laura.'

'You don't need to!' Two voices echoed loudly in the cave as two Plasma members came running. 'It's bad enough you don't understand our ideals but now you're getting in the way.'

I was mad. 'Well if you didn't just steal a Pokémon, we wouldn't be in your way.'

'There's two of you and two of us.' The one in front of Cheren grinned. 'We'll show you how good our combined forces are. Then you'll see we're right.' The two threw out two Patrats.

'Why are you robbers being so self-righteous?' Cheren muttered, turning to me. 'Ok White, we've been friends for three years. We've had each other's back the whole time. Even if I've never done a double battle, I reckon we can win.' He subtly showed me which Pokéball he was going to throw out.

I nodded recalling Triton. 'Let's heat this up Zara!' The Charmeleon roared in approval, while the two grunts who hesitated at the site of such a fierce looking Pokémon.

'Snivy, use Vine Whip!' Cheren took advantage of their hesitation and took the first move. His Snivy burst out of his Pokéball and did damage straight away.

As they gathered themselves together, I joined in. 'Zara, Flame Charge, the left!' Zara covered herself in flames and smashed into the Patrat. It was the one already hit by Snivy so the Pokémon fainted straight away.

The grunt on the right, the one who's Patrat was still in the battle, quickly managed to call an attack. 'Bite that Snivy!'

The Patrat managed a hit on Snivy. In my fear of causing Snivy more harm I changed to a different type for attack. 'Zara, DragonRage!'

Zara's eyes glowed and released a powerful attack. The Patrat began wobbling and Snivy jumped in for a simple Tackle. It fainted and there was silence after the battle. I held my hand out. 'Hand the Pokémon over.'

'We're liberating Pokémon from foolish people!' One of the grunts said desperately.

Cheren rolled his eyes. 'What a waste of time this was. You're using an ideal to justify theft?'

The Plasma members stiffened. 'Pokémon Trainers like you are making Pokémon suffer.'

'How? I don't get it at all!' Cheren looked frustrated.

'It doesn't matter.' I twitched my hand, waiting for Happy. 'Hand the Pokémon back.' There was more hesitation until Zara growled. They gulped visibly at the sight of her (she was unknown to them and Charmeleons did look intimidating) and a member put the Pokéball in my hand. I checked to make sure Happy was inside before nodding my head, satisfied.

'Be aware of how this Pokémon suffers by being with a trainer. You'll open your eyes one day.' With that they sprinted off.

'Should we let them just go like that?' Cheren asked.

I shrugged. 'What are we going to do with them if we did catch them? Or if we ran into reinforcements could we really take them again? It's probably safer to just let them go.' I scratch Zara on the head. 'You were great you know.'

Cheren watched me curiously. 'Trainers bring out a Pokémon's strength. Pokémon believe in their trainers and respond to that. I don't see how it makes them suffer.'

'I don't think it does. But really, it's not just a trainer that brings out a Pokémon's strength but Pokémon who bring out their trainer's strength too.' Cheren looked at me sceptically. I shrugged. 'Well, it's what I believe.'

We headed back to where Bianca and Laura were waiting. I released Happy who bounded up to Laura, licking her face as the girl laughed and cried. Bianca looked relieved at the sight of us. 'Oh good, you're back safe. Laura told me how she met you before in Accumula. Small world, isn't it?'

I smiled at Bianca then turned to Laura. 'You said you were meeting a friend? Let's get you to the Daycare.'

'I'm going on ahead then.' Cheren said, nodding goodbye before going down the road to Nacrene City.

'I didn't get to say thank you.' Laura said sadly.

'It's ok, Cheren's not really into the mushy stuff.' I smiled before the three of us headed off. We went back to the Daycare where Alyssa stood, waiting. She celebrated the good news then headed off to get Laura's friend. Laura went with her, leaving Bianca and I alone.

'It was Team Plasma again, huh?' Bianca frowned, a rare sight. 'They don't seem to be a very nice group.'

I grunted in answer. She was right. I had thought that maybe the Munna incident had been a one off but it seemed most team members weren't all that…morally sound. Thinking back to that made me think of something I should do. I dialled the number of the Striaton Gym on my Xtransceiver. To my luck, Cilan was the one who picked up. 'White? How come you're calling? Bianca?' At his voice Bianca had leaned over as well.

'You know each other?' I was confused.

'Bianca beat Cress this morning. First time we've lost consecutively three times in a row.' Cilan smiled. 'Be careful though! We're still rather new as gym leaders so don't think you'll have such an easy time with the rest! But anyway, what's up?'

'It's about Team Plasma…' With Bianca's help I managed to tell him about their activities. There was a frown on his face.

Cilan sighed. 'I'll let the other gym leaders and authorities know. Thanks for telling me.' And the screen went black.

'Thanks Miss White! Thanks Miss Bianca!' The two girls jumped to see Laura and another young girl standing behind them. It was Laura who had spoken. 'I didn't say it before so I'm saying it now. Happy says thank you too!' Happy indeed yipped cheerfully.

I knelt and scratched Happy behind the ears. 'I can see you two have been taking good care of each other. I hope what happened didn't make you want to stop being a trainer.'

Laura shook her head. 'I still want too! It'd be cool to be as good as you and Cheren! You were brave and strong enough to go after the bad guys!'

Her friend fidgeted. 'I don't want to go back to Striaton by ourselves though.' She said nervously.

'I'll come with you.' Bianca grinned. 'I don't mind at all.'

'Really? Thanks Miss Bianca!' Laura jumped in excitement.

Her friend still looked a little nervous. 'You'll be in safe hands with Bianca. After all, she has the Trio Badge. Well, I'm going now!'

I headed off quickly before they could even say goodbye. In the distance I could hear Laura begin to gush over Bianca. I chuckled as I headed off. At the intersection I paused. My Xtransceiver showed that it was getting late and, as far as I could tell on the Town Map, I wouldn't be able to get it today. True I had Zara, whose tail flame would be able to light the way, but a rest would probably a smarter idea. Instead, I headed towards the cave where Team Plasma had run to. I decided to camp in the entrance, as it would provide some protection from the weather. After a quick exploration of the cave though, I found it was pretty small, unless there was something across the expanse of water, which I wouldn't be able to get to until Triton learnt Surf. There were Woobats, Roggenrola and the occasional Drilbur but I was getting tired so my aim would probably be off, so I chose not to catch any. Heading back to the entrance, I set up camp and let my Pokémon out.

I yawned. 'Night you two. Don't cause any trouble.' I crawled into my sleeping bag, vaguely registered Triton and Zara curling up beside me before nodding off.

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><p><em>When Em had left, Black and I didn't visit the breeding centre as much. I had cried for about a week and Black wasn't his usual energetic self. It had lasted until we had gotten our first letter from Em, who was describing her new home and how she was helping out. We had cheered up but I couldn't help feeling things weren't quite the same. There was less competition for one thing. Black and I argued but there was no Em to break us up or to add to the fight. <em>

_I knew what it was the day Dad and Black left. Dad wasn't around much. He was a serious and intense Pok_é_mon Trainer. He travelled everywhere. None of us were mad at him. There was no point. It was just his nature. But one of the rare times he was home, mum told him she was leaving. That she couldn't keep waiting for him. That she loved him and that he was a brilliant trainer and that he should keep doing what he loved but what he loved and what she needed was no longer the same thing. He got up and walked out and wasn't home for hours. When he did come back, he agreed with her. Of course, Black and I didn't learn all this until later. _

_They sat us down and told us we had a choice. It was hard but Black chose Dad, since dad was the better battler and Black wanted to become Champion. I couldn't leave Mum alone. So they separated. Dad didn't want to constantly have to come back to Kanto with new places to explore so he and Black ended up in Sinnoh. Mum couldn't stay because of the memories so she moved us to Unova. _

_With Em in Hoenn, the three of us were truly scattered across the world. What I felt the day Em left, and the day I watched Dad and Black leave, was loss. We had made a promise to become Champions together; if we were going to be separated then I didn't want to be Champion at all._

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><p><em>Another chapter complete. Nothing to say here. Thanks for reading! Reviews would be helpful!<em>


	8. The Nacrene Dance

_So this chapter has been sitting on my computer for a while. I couldn't log onto fanfiction because the security code was refusing to show up on my computer (I have three different internet browsers-captcha refused to show up on all of them) so it was very frustrating for a while. Was I the only one having this problem? But I decided to check randomly tonight and behold! the code had shown up. So upload, finally! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon_

**Chapter 8: The Nacrene Dance**

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><p>'RRRIIIIINNNGGG!'<p>

I woke up startled by the sound of my Xtransceiver. Groggily I answered it. 'Hello?'

'Good morning White.' Professor Juniper smiled happily on the screen. 'How's the journey going?'

I yawned. 'Good. I'm on Route 3 at the moment. In a cave off to the side.'

'Ah, you must be in Wellspring Cave.' She nodded cheerfully. 'How's the Pokédex?'

'I haven't caught that many Pokémon yet Professor.' I said sheepishly.

'That's ok. Didn't I tell you? Your Pokédex will register Pokémon if you just see them. It's been improved from the older versions! It gives more information if you capture them but it's fine if you just catch sight of them in terms of registering it.' She laughed. 'It's great isn't it?' I sighed. Well, she just saved me a lot of money. 'Oh, you have a new Pokémon! A Charmeleon! How rare!'

I nodded. 'Yeah, she was a present from my dad. I got Zara as a Charmander but she's evolved since then.'

'How wonderful! Next time I see you, I'll have to upgrade it to a National Pokédex. It's a break in precedence but considering you've seen Pokédexes before and you have a non-regional Pokémon, I think I can make an exception.' She winked at me.

I smiled. 'Thanks Professor.'

'Well, just wanted to check how you're doing. I'll see you later!' The screen went black.

Stretching, I grinned at my Pokémon. 'Morning! Let's try and make it to Nacrene today.' They nodded in response.

After packing camp I noticed the weather was beautiful outside. It was too nice a day for Triton and Zara to remain in their Pokéballs so I decided to let them walk beside me. We finally took the turn down to Nacrene City. I hummed as we went along, until we were challenged by a trainer. Route 3 had a few trainers. They were of varying levels but I managed to take them out. As we walked along, I saw a patch a darker, wilder grass.

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><p>'<em>Why can't we just fly there?' I whined. We had just moved to Unova and, for the first time, we were visiting family in White Forest. <em>

'_Because Hermes can't Fly where he hasn't been before. We can fly next time.' Mum explained patiently. _

_I grumbled. I didn't want to see family I had never met before. But Mum dragged me along Route 3 promising as soon as we got to Castelia City, we could catch a bus. In my grouchiness, I deliberately decided to walk on the other side of the fence from mum. Of course, I was to busy trying to avoid her and walked straight into extremely thick grass. Spluttering (it reached above my head), I tried to call out for mum, only to have two Pokémon jump at me. A Blitzle and a Purrloin. I tried to run away back the thick grass simply tripped me over. I braced myself as they leapt forward to attack. _

'_Qilin, Double Hit! Demeter, Energy Ball!' _

_I looked up to see mum's Girararig slamming into the Blitzle and her Meganium blasting Purrloin with a green ball. The two hits sent the wild Pokémon scurrying off. Mum hurried over and gave me a hug in relief. 'Don't disappear like that!' _

_I stared at her. 'Mum, I didn't know you could battle.' _

_She shrugged. 'I'm not very good. Your father is a much better battler so he did all the battling for us. I haven't really battle for several years now.' She turned to them. 'Thanks Qilin, thanks Demeter.' And she returned them to their Pokéballs. 'You have to be careful now. This thicker grass? The Pokémon here are stronger and sometimes they work in pairs. Now let's hurry.' _

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><p>In Kanto, they had never seen Mum battle. White had seen it a few times in Unova and when she told Black about it, he still found it hard to believe. Of course, it made sense considering how Demeter would've had to battle to get to a high enough level to evolve into a Meganium.<p>

I turned to Triton and Zara. 'Let's get some training done!' I led the way into the thick grass. After some hours we came out, tired but stronger. We walked across a bridge, facing a few more trainers and finally reached the gate to Nacrene as it was getting close to evening. Heading through, I located the Pokémon Centre and healed Triton and Zara up first. I quickly took them to a café at the edge of town. Mum had taken me here before and I knew the food was great. I was soon set up on the patio with my dinner in front of me and my Pokémon eating from their bowls on the floor. There was a man playing the accordion, adding to the pleasant atmosphere. A little Igglybuff bounced at the man's feet, singing along.

'Good evening White.'

'Hi N.' I said lazily. I was much too relaxed to react anymore than that. 'Sit down. Had dinner yet?'

N sat across from me. 'Yes, I've eaten.' Zorua jumped from his shoulder to say hello to Triton, growling slightly at Zara. The Charmeleon kept a wary eye out but continued to eat her feed, effectively ignoring our companions.

For once he didn't appear to have anything to say, so I just continued to eat, relishing the silence. The song the musician was playing finished and he and Igglybuff took a bow to the scattered applause of the patrons before starting a new song. I finished my meal and looked over to see N looking at the man strangely. I poked his leg with my foot. 'What's eating you?'

He looked confused. 'I'm not being eaten.'

I rolled my eyes. 'It's a saying. I meant what's on your mind?'

There was a pause. 'That man. I don't understand the point of using a Pokémon for singing.'

I raised an eyebrow. 'I don't think there's a point except that it's fun. I mean, Igglybuff love to sing, so they're probably performing together because they enjoy it.'

'Trainers exploit Pokémon for their own use.' N frowned. 'That can't be the reason why that Pokémon is with that man.'

My relaxed mood disappeared. 'Is it that hard to understand that most trainers and Pokémon are friends? You want people and Pokémon to get along, yes? How are you ever going to see it happen if you blind yourself to it when it's right in front of you?'

He said nothing, though the frown deepened on his face. I paid the bill as Triton and Zara finished their meal. As soon as he finished his last bite, Triton ran up to the man, grabbed his two scalchops and starting tapping them together, along to the music. As he danced there was a ripple of laughter around the other customers as they watched. The man who laughed the loudest was the one playing the accordion, delight shining in his eyes. His Igglybuff jumped on top of Triton's head and continued to sing as Triton and the man played. After the song was finished, the man began playing a faster tune, like a jig. Triton jumped in delight, playing along. To my surprise the man began singing, a country voice, melodic and fine. Igglybuff sang harmony and the three created a fun tune.

It was two children belonging to a family that got up first. They got up and started dancing, not really sure what they were doing, but not caring a bit. I laughed and began clapping along. They reminded me of Em, who would always do this sort of thing. She would do the same as the kids were doing now, running to all the adults, family and strangers alike, to try and get them to join in. So when the little girl came up I didn't hesitate but stood up and joined in. I spun her around as she giggled in delight. As she moved on an elderly man, still hale and friendship shining from his face, caught me and spun me around. By then more and more people were joining in. I danced, with faces flashing past me and spinning with strangers. When I got a chance to catch a breath, as no one grabbed me to dance, I saw N still sitting at the table, watching the movement with confusion and possibly longing? Zara had taken my seat, clearly enjoying the scene, though I doubted if she'd join in and Zorua was on the table, tail swishing from side to side, in time with the music.

I headed over. 'Come on! Join in.' I offered my hand.

He looked at me strangely. 'I don't understand.'

I shook my head. 'What's so hard to understand? Come dance!'

'I meant I don't understand the purpose of this. Dancing is either performed at balls, as a form of socialisation, or on stage, for entertainment for the crowd watching. It serves neither purpose here, so why is there dancing?' N rationalised. 'Besides, considering how flushed you look, I'm sure it's not good for your health.'

I stared and laughed. 'Sometimes things don't have such deep purposes silly. Don't diss it before you try it!' Before he could protest I pulled him up, dancing with him until another person pulled him away. I lost sight of him until the restaurant manager stated they were closing, apologising for ruining our fun but thanking us for our patronage. I went up to Zara first, collecting her from the table. N was already holding Zorua. Before he could speak I left to collect Triton.

The man on the Accordion was thanking Triton for helping, while his Igglybuff sat on the Dewott's head. 'I should be thanking you for letting Triton play with you.' I said to the man.

He looked up and smiled at me. 'I loved it. It's great being able to see such a happy Pokémon. It means that their trainer is a good person.'

I smiled. 'Working on it. It helps he's an awesome Pokémon. Your Igglybuff looks really happy too.'

The man looked surprised. 'You know what an Igglybuff is? That's surprising.' I quickly explained how I'd come from another region. He laughed. 'I lived in Johto for most of my life and I would visit Kanto all the time. Where did you live?'

'Pallet Town.'

'Home of the famous Professor Oak!' He looked eager. 'Did you ever meet him?'

I nodded. 'He was a family friend so, yeah.'

'Lucky! I wish I could.' He smiled. 'Look at me. An old man gushing.'

I giggled. 'If it helps, nearly everyone I've met that learns I know Prof. Oak reacts that way.'

'Did he give you a Pokémon?'

I shook my head. 'No but he asked Professor Juniper if she could give me one. That's how I got Triton.'

He smiled at Triton. 'You are a very good Pokémon. I would've liked to see one of the Kanto starters though.'

'I have a Charmeleon who was a gift from my dad.' I said eagerly. It would be good to see someone appreciate Zara as a special Kanto Pokémon. He brightened up at the thought. 'I can show her to you. She's a bit standoffish though.'

'I have a better idea. Why don't we have a Pokémon battle? It'll be a good way to see her and also see how good a trainer you are.' He stood up, accordion now put away in a case at his side.

'Should you really be forcing your Pokémon to battle?' I jumped. I didn't notice when N had come to stand beside me. He frowned at the old man, Zorua regarding him carefully.

I glared at N but the man simply laughed. 'My Pokémon enjoy battling. Maybe I would be forcing them if we did it all the time but the occasional battle can be fun. Let's go.'

Moments later we were standing on a grassy spot next to the restaurant. It was getting very late but I was eager for a battle. We had agreed on a one-on-one battle, so Triton was standing next to N, Igglybuff still on his head, and Zorua now on N's shoulders. They stood off to one side as I prepared to battle.

'By the way, my name is Jack.' He said, taking out a Pokéball.

'White.' I threw out my Pokéball. 'Go Zara!'

'Togekiss!'

Zara's tail flame shone brightly in the darkness as it bounced off the beautiful white Pokémon who soared through the sky. I smiled. 'That's a beautiful Togekiss. My mum has one called Hermes but his colour isn't as white as yours.'

Jack laughed as Togekiss preened. 'Thank you. Shall we start?'

I nodded. 'Zara, Flame Charge!' I would need extra speed to beat a flying type.

'Togekiss, dodge! Follow up with Sweet Kiss!'

Zara covered herself in flames, jumping to hit Togekiss. The Pokémon dodged gracefully and swooped in and flicked a wing from his lips, blowing a kiss onto Zara. It landed and Zara began stumbling around, confused as Togekiss flew into the air.

I cursed silently. 'Come on Zara! Try and snap out of it and use Flame Charge.'

'Togekiss, glide left and use Aura Sphere!' Jack called out.

Zara stumbled forward and managed to cover herself with flames. When she ran forward to hit Togekiss, he glided left at the last moment, confusing Zara who stumbled and hurt herself. Now behind Zara, Togekiss quickly formed a glowing blue sphere and shot it straight at Zara before flying out of reach. The attack sent Zara flying forward and hitting the ground hard. She just managed to get on her feet, still suffering from confusion.

'You can do it Zara! Use DragonRage and hit Togekiss hard!' I cheered for her.

Zara's eyes glowed and as Togekiss was circling above she managed to hit him with a ball of power. Togekiss faltered, tumbling to the ground for a moment.

'Togekiss, straighten up and use AncientPower!' Jack called.

'Crap!' I watched in horror as Togekiss fell close to Zara but managed to right himself before he could hit the ground. He let out a cry and rocks from the ground raised and smashed into Zara. Weak to rock type moves Zara cried out and stumbled, knees hitting the ground. She panted there, exhausted. 'Zara! DragonRage, once more!'

'Finish up with Double-Edge!' Jack called.

As Zara's eyes began glowing Togekiss pulled in his eyes and dived at her. 'Zara, just roll over!' As Togekiss was just about to land the hit, Zara rolled onto her back and released a DragonRage attack straight into him. The force of the two attacks created a huge dust cloud. Togekiss flew out of the cloud and circled above, looking a little battered. It felt like an eternity passed before the cloud cleared and Zara was revealed to be lying unconscious on the ground. I quickly ran over and stroked Zara's muzzle. Her eyes flickered open and she growled. 'Not this time Zara.' I whispered. 'We lost this battle but that's ok.' Her growl faded and she looked disappointed. 'You did an absolutely fantastic job. I don't care if we lost. Take a break.' I recalled her into her Pokéball.

'You put up a fantastic battle.' Jack said, coming over. Togekiss landed behind him, giving a soft call as if in agreement.

I shook my head. 'Zara battled hard but I did a horrible job.'

'You haven't been a trainer long have you?' Jack asked.

I shrugged. 'I started a few days ago.'

Jack smiled. 'I've been battling for years. The experience and years probably made a big difference. For someone who only just started being a trainer, you did really well. You've got heaps of potential.'

I gave him a weak smiled. I wasn't too sure on that. 'Thanks. Togekiss was amazing.'

Jack stroked his neck. 'So was Zara. That last attack, getting Zara to roll over, that was brilliant. I've only ever seen two other trainers show that kind of spontaneity.' He suddenly looked at his watch. 'Look at the time! We should probably be getting to bed.' He returned Togekiss to his ball and collected Igglybuff. 'Good night.' And he walked off.

I sighed. My first loss was harder to take than I expected.

'His Pokémon would have been forced to battle many times to get that strong.'

I jumped at the disapproving voice. I had forgotten N was there. He was frowning, arms crossed in anger. I sighed again. 'No doubt they did battle heaps but Jack doesn't strike me as the kind of person who would force his Pokémon to battle. His Pokémon would've wanted to.' N looked sullen. I rolled my eyes. He wasn't going to listen to anything I said at this point. 'Look, I'm headed to the Pokémon Centre to heal Zara up and to sleep. You coming?'

He shook his head. 'I have accommodation elsewhere.'

I shrugged. 'Alright. I'll see you around N.' And with a scratch for Zorua, I headed off, Triton at my side.

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><p>'<em>Whoa!' I stared up and up. <em>

'_It's huge!' Black exclaimed._

_Mum nodded. 'The Bell Tower has nine floors. They say it used to be the perch of Ho-Oh.' Mum had taken Black and me for a trip to Johto. It was our first time in Ecruteak City. She smiled. 'The people in this city still pay their respects, waiting for the day Ho-Oh returns.' _

'_But I thought he did! The TV said so!' Black looked at her in confusion. _

_Mum shrugged. 'The show you were watching was about myths. There were rumours that Ho-Oh appeared about 20-30 years ago but no one's confirmed that rumour. We hear this sort of thing all the time.' _

'_When will he come back?' I asked. _

'_They say that Ho-Oh will only return when he finds a trainer with a pure heart, who will reunite people and Pokémon.' _

'_But we're already united.' Black protested. _

_Mum laughed. 'Maybe that's why Ho-Oh hasn't come back. Because we don't need him yet.' _

'_That trainer must be an amazing person.' I whispered in awe. 'It'd be so cool meeting Ho-Oh.' _

'_Anyone would be lucky to meet a Legendary Pokémon.' Mum said quietly, a strange look on her face. _

'_You know what? I'm gonna catch a legendary Pokémon when I become a trainer. You wait and see!' Black said in determination. _

_Mum had laughed and asked which one but I wasn't really listening. I was too awestruck by the majestic feel of the tower. Ho-Oh was waiting for the right trainer. Perhaps other legendary Pokémon were as well. What kind of person would it take, to be chosen by a legendary…_

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><p><em>And we finally arrive in Nacrene City with White's first loss. She needed to at some point. Otherwise it would be too convenient. The dance scene was entirely random-I literally only thought about writing it as I started writing it. Hope it wasn't too cheesy. I just wanted to confuse N because he needed to see Pokemon outside of battle so Jack and Igglybuff were created. Now they're in the story, theyll probably end up showing up again somewhere later. <em>

_Anyway, I'm really excited about writing the next bit. The Nacrene Gym and whole sequence with Plasma is a scene I quite enjoyed in the game. So (hopefully) expect faster uploads for Nacrene compared to the gaps between the last chapters. _

_Thanks for reading and reviews would be helpful (to see if I'm going in the right direction with this!)._


	9. Perfection, Not Interested

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

**Chapter 9: Perfection-Not Interested**

_So I lied about a fast update. Got inundated with work. Typical. Here's a longer chapter though. Lots happening!_

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><p>Nacrene City. Home of the avant-garde artist. The place where trends began. You would think that sort of thing would begin in the bigger cities but no, this little city was the place Unova looked to for what was in.<p>

I've been to Nacrene City several times. Not to find out fashion trends as many other girls did (though I always took note since Bianca would always ask) but to visit the museum. Mum took me as she enjoyed history so much. The exhibits were always changing so it was an adventure every time. As soon as I had gotten up this morning I had picked up a pamphlet from the Pokémon Centre. An exhibition on foreign artefacts was currently on. I had spent a while trying to find a place that sold cheap disposable cameras (the PokéMart did not stock them), so I had lunch before heading to the museum. I was excited; it had been a while since I'd been to the Nacrene Museum.

I walked in, nodding to the women at the desk. A great thing about this museum was that most of it was free; the Pewter Museum of Science did back in Kanto. I decided that if I wanted to see the rest of the museum, I could always pay later. The first hall held a surprise. A gigantic skeleton satin the middle of the room. People were milling around it, discussing it in hushed voices. I stared at it as well. At first it was shocking due to the size and excellent state it was in for a skeleton but after a while, I felt it was familiar from somewhere. I was there for a while but I eventually snapped a photo and moved on.

The exhibit was great. Fossils, masks and things like ancient cups that only someone trained to appreciate history-like my mum training me-could really understand the historical value on. I swear I spent more time looking at equipment trainers used to use to help them with Pokémon than at actual Pokémon fossils. I ran out of film quickly, staying there until night when I got hungry. I left and headed to a fast food restaurant.

'White! White!'

The moment I stepped through the door someone called my name. Looking around I was surprised to see Cheren and Bianca sitting at a booth. I headed over to give Bianca a hug, before she could yell out anymore. 'What are you guys doing here? Bianca, I thought you were still in Striaton City and Cheren, I thought you would've been gone from Nacrene by now.'

'I just arrived an hour ago after training on Route 3. I bumped into Cheren at the Pokémon Centre.'

'The library at the Nacrene Museum is fascinating. So much knowledge to be gained.' Cheren pushed his glasses up his nose. 'I beat the gym leader here yesterday but used today to read up on some topics.'

'What have you been up to?' Bianca asked.

As we ate burgers and chips for dinner, I quickly told them about Jack, N and visiting the museum. Cheren raised an eyebrow. 'Are you sure you should still be associating with N?'

I shrugged. 'He's strange but he doesn't mean any harm. If anything he seems so clueless, he's more likely to get into a sticky situation.'

Cheren frowned. 'I still think you should be careful.'

'It's not like I particularly go looking for him. I've just bumped into him twice.' I saw the look on Cheren's face and rushed to reassure him. 'Thanks for the advice though.'

'I still haven't met this N.' Bianca mused, munching on a chip. 'Must be an interesting person if it's got you two worked up.'

Cheren snorted. 'Interesting is a polite way to put it. He's downright weird.'

Bianca giggled. 'And you're not?' Cheren frowned at her, making her laugh. 'Oh come on Cheren. Who goes on a Pokémon journey but pauses so he can visit a library?'

I laughed as well as Cheren defended his decision. As the mock fight began escalating I decided to intervene as our current location wasn't suitable for the strange banter Bianca and Cheren had sometimes. 'What do you guys plan to do tomorrow?'

'I plan on visiting the Nacrene Museum library again.' Cheren answered instantly. 'There's a book I started today that I'll finish tomorrow.'

Bianca looked thoughtful. 'I'm not really sure. I want to look around Nacrene but I also want to challenge the gym leader. If I've already collected the Trio Badge I might as well collect more until I'm completely sure about what I want to do.'

'What about you White? Challenging the gym?' Cheren asked.

I laughed. 'You are not manipulating me into challenging the gym again Cheren. I plan to head through Pinwheel Forest tomorrow. There's a hostel I plan to get to by tomorrow night that's before the Skyarrow Bridge. That way I'll be in Castelia City day after tomorrow.'

'Aren't you going to appreciate the sights?' Bianca asked. 'What's the point of a journey if you're going to go through it so fast?'

'I've been to these places before. I want to go somewhere I haven't been, that's all.' I smiled at the thought.

'Are you sure about the gym?' Cheren asked. 'It still feels weird that my rival refuses to enter gym battles.'

I rolled my eyes and refused to answer. The rest of dinner was spent chatting and relaxing. We headed back to the Pokémon Centre, with a quick stop to a photograph shop so I could get my pictures developed. We headed to bed with the agreement we wouldn't make plans to meet in the morning.

I think I was the first one up the next morning. Grabbing breakfast I picked up my photos and went to the post office. Assured of a fast delivery, I left as the Pidove carrying the envelope flew in the opposite direction. I headed out of Nacrene City, quickly letting Triton and Zara out now we were back on the road. The morning was gone when we reached Pinwheel Forest. 'Alright, there'll be lots of trainers ahead of us on the road through Pinwheel. You ready?' Zara and Triton made noises of agreement. I sighed. 'The road is probably the best and worst thing about Pinwheel Forest. It makes it so easy to get through but it doesn't quite have the wilderness that Viridian Forest did. You get what I'm saying?' Silence met my question and I looked to see my Pokémon staring blankly at me. 'Never mind. Let's get going!'

I got into the forest and turned the corner when my progress was impeded. There was a line of people in medieval uniforms-Team Plasma-who were blocking the way. They didn't seem to notice and when I tapped one of them in the back, the man looked pissed as he turned to see what had distracted him. 'What?' He asked rudely.

I crossed my arms. 'You're blocking the way.' I said pointedly.

'So?' He glared at me. 'Get lost kid. You're not getting through.'

I was about to say something rude back when another man came up. 'What my companion means to say is that we are currently working on a project and we're sorry for blocking your way. Since the project is important we can't move at the moment. However, we should be done by tomorrow so if you come back then, we'll be gone and you can continue through.' He explained politely, even bowing to show his respect.

I frowned, hesitating. Eventually I shrugged. 'Ok, I'll come back later.' It seemed like a waste of energy to try and argue. And this man was being nice about it, unlike other Plasma members I had met so far, so I didn't want his politeness to go to waste.

'Again, we offer our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.' I turned and left to get away from his constant bowing.

Back out of the forest I sighed. 'What should we do now?' I asked Triton and Zara. Triton simply chattered unconcerned though Zara looked mad at missing out on possible battles. I decided to head to the Nacrene Museum library: Cheren had mentioned he would be there so I could always go annoy him.

As I made to enter the museum, I bumped into someone hard. 'Oof! Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't really…N?'

And so it was indeed N who I had walked into. He hadn't fallen, just stumbled back so he was fine. Zorua looked at me crossly though, as he was in his arms when I walked into them, thereby crushing the Pokémon. 'Hello White, Triton, Zara.' N greeted us. Triton chattered a greeting while Zara simply glared at him.

Several coos came from the side of the museum. Several Pokémon came up to N. I recognised the Pidove but not the other two. I brought out my Pokédex. _Timburr. The muscular Pokémon. Fighting Type. And Tympole. The tadpole Pokémon. Water type._ I put away my Pokédex as N gave attention to them.

N's voice was odd when he spoke. 'I…want to see things no one can see. The truth of Pokémon inside Pokéballs. The ideal of how trainers should be. And a future where Pokémon have become perfect…Do you feel the same?'

It took a moment to process what he said. Truth, ideals and perfection. What was he blabbering about? 'Well…'

* * *

><p><em>The night when Dad and Black were going to leave. Black was asleep, so exhausted from packing he was dead to the world. Me? I was too upset to be. In the middle of the night as I lay awake I heard a stirring in the wind. Getting up, I snuck downstairs to see a red headed man with a cape, talking in the kitchen with mum and dad. Instead of going in, I stopped to eavesdrop. <em>

'_So what brings you here in the middle of the night?' Mum asked. _

'_Well I just heard the news. Are both of you really leaving Kanto?' The man asked. Mum and Dad both nodded in reply. 'You can't!' _

'_Why not?' Dad asked. _

'_Well…you guys just belong here…' He muttered. _

_Mum squeezed his arm. 'What's on your mind Lance?' _

_The man, Lance, took a deep breath. 'People look up to you two. Everything you've done…we need you in Kanto and Johto. You guys are the goal people strive for. You inspire trainers in two regions. If you _both_ leave, what are people going to do?' Done what? Mum and Dad an inspiration? I didn't get it. _

'_Continue being trainers?' Mum suggested. She laughed. 'You make it sound as if we're perfect.' _

'_To the average trainer, you guys are.' Lance said seriously. _

'_I'm not even a battler.' Mum protested. _

'_It doesn't matter.' Lance shrugged. 'All you've done, the connection you have with Pokémon, people look at that as perfection.' _

'_Then it's probably a good thing we're leaving.' Dad spoke up. 'If people look at us as the ideal they'll stop trying to achieve more than that. If we set the limit, who's going to break it?' _

'_It's not like that.' Lance protested. _

'_It is.' Mum said quietly. 'The truth is, we're not perfect and people need to know that before they get too disappointed. In fact, they shouldn't be looking at us as a goal but figuring out how to connect to Pokémon in their own way. Trainers shouldn't be striving for perfection but to be better.'_

_Lance sighed in defeat. Mum and Dad could be pretty stubborn when they wanted to be. 'I still can't believe you're separating though.' _

_Dad's face was unreadable. 'That's life.' _

'_Sure you won't stay? People also look to you for protection.' Lance asked, though his tone suggested he knew it wouldn't work. _

_Mum laughed. 'We shouldn't be doing the Elite Four and Champion's jobs should we Lance? Besides, my brother's still in New Bark Town.' _

_Lance rolled his eyes. 'Well good luck in your new homes. How are White and Black taking it?' I was surprised he knew about us. _

'_Surprisingly well.' Mum said. 'They haven't really talked to us about it much. It'll be hard when they're separated tomorrow.' _

_He stood up. 'Yes well, it's hard for all of us to be losing such good friends.' Friends? I didn't even know Mum and Dad knew this guy. They weren't all too social with people. How many people were 'us'? 'I have to get back to the League. I guess this is goodbye.' League? Who was this guy?_

'_Yes but we'll be back to visit. Good luck.' He and dad gripped arms for a moment before he gave mum a hug. _

_I slipped back up to my bedroom and looked outside the window. It was a moonlit night and I saw the cloaked man come out of our house. A small red light flashed and a huge dragon Pokémon came out. I gaped as he climbed aboard and flew off, with barely a whisper to announce his departure._

* * *

><p>'White?'<p>

I shook my head clear of memories as N's voice called my back into the world. 'Do you agree?' He asked again.

'No.' I said firmly. He frowned. 'Well yes to seeing the truth of Pokémon. Who doesn't want to know more about them? But no to the ideals and perfection.'

'Why?'

'The ideal trainer? What is that? Someone who can understand Pokémon speech, like you? You were born with a very rare gift. No one can achieve that. Someone who never battles with Pokémon, never keeps them in Pokéballs, never gets them to do _anything_? N, from what I've heard, you want Pokémon and people to live side by side with each other but not really do anything together. It doesn't make sense.'

'I don't think you quite understand my reasoning.' N frowned.

I was on a roll though. 'And perfection in Pokémon? Not one Pokémon or person in this world is perfect.' I always remembered what Mum said that night. It was one of my favourite sayings. 'I don't want to be perfect. I don't want my Pokémon to be perfect. I want us all to be _better_.'

He looked confused and disappointed. 'You don't want your Pokémon to achieve perfection. I expected more from you.' He was silent for a moment. His Timburr growled, thumping his log on the floor. N nodded. 'Yes. White, pay attention. My friends and I will test you to see if you can this future.' Pidove flew off his shoulder, hovering in front of him, letting out a challenging screech.

'Huh? What future?' I asked in confusion but Zara had already leaped forward, anticipating a battle. I sighed. 'Alright then. Zara, Growl!'

'Pidove, Quick Attack!'

Pidove flew in fast, landing a hit first. Zara stumbled and let out an irritated growl. She grew it into a Growl attack, lowering the damage Pidove could do.

'Pidove, Gust!'

'Zara, Ember!'

'Dodge!'

Pidove threw up a wind that sent Zara tumbling backwards. In retaliation Zara spat some flames at Pidove but the Pokémon simply glided away, the attack barely brushing its feathers. I bit my lip. Pidove's speed was a potential problem to this battle. 'Ok, Zara, let's try Flame Charge to get your speed to match Pidove's.

'Pidove, use Quick Attack!'

Pidove came in for a dive. I waited for the flames to surround Zara but they didn't come. Instead Zara pulled herself up and her face darkened. Pulling out my Pokédex, it identified her using Scary Face. Pidove flinched at the face, still managing to hit but when she flew up, I noticed she had become stiff, her speed a lot slower.

I grinned. 'Awesome Zara. Let's use Flame Charge!'

'Pidove, hold her back with Gust!'

Zara covered herself in flames and charged forward. Pidove began flapping its wings but Zara was too fast and smashed into it, causing Pidove to tumble back in the air. 'Finish it fast Zara! DragonRage!'

'Quick Attack!' N called desperately.

Pidove flew at Zara just as she released the attack. The attack collided with a bang and Pidove landed backwards, fainted. Zara also slid back but she was still standing strong, albeit, a little beat up.

N gently picked Pidove up, whispering something to it. He placed the Pokémon next to him before sending out Tympole. I hesitated. A water type was bad news for Zara but Triton wouldn't be able to damage it much. I decided to take a risk. 'Zara, DragonRage!'

'Bubblebeam!' N called.

Zara's increased speed couldn't match the speed of Tympole. The water attack hit first and caused a lot of damage. With effort Zara released a DragonRage, hitting hard. Tympole was pretty weakened against the attack.

'Come on Zara! DragonRage, quickly!'

'Bubblebeam, once more!'

The Bubblebeam attack hit Zara hard, knocking her unconscious but not before she managed to loose an attack on Tympole, who also fainted. I recalled Zara, silently thanking her as I put away her Pokéball. N placed Tympole next to Pidove, whom Zorua was now guarding. He nodded and Timburr leapt forward, ready to battle. There were some murmurs and I finally realised a crowd had gathered. I made a face. Of course they would; after all, the battle was taking place in front of the Nacrene Museum. So even if they weren't interested, the people had to wait for us to clear the entrance. I turned to Triton. 'Ok, let's try making this a fast one.' He nodded and leapt forward, scalchops at the ready. 'Prepare to defend with them Triton.' A fighting type used a lot of physical attacks that were in your face.

'Timburr, Low Kick!'

Timburr rushed in a tripped Triton over, who fell flat on his face. He had prepared to defend against the log, not attacks aimed at his feet. I swore silently. I really had to keep my guard up. 'Go for a Razor Shell!'

'Bide!'

Too late to change the attack Triton hit Timburr with the watery scalchops, causing damage. With Bide in play I knew I had to finish this fast.

'Timburr, hold the log between you and Triton, to minimise direct damage.' N made a call.

I hesitated. I was running on a clock now and I had to get around that log. I remembered yesterday's battle with Jack. The Double-Edge had caused massive damage because of the hurtling speed Togekiss manage to get. The result of flying and gravity. 'Triton jump up and use Water Gun at the log, hard as you can!'

Triton, to his everlasting credit, didn't question my instructions and did exactly that. The pressure managed to cause some damage but that was beside the point. The attack pushed Triton further up into the air to a decent height. 'Now flip and use Razor Shell!'

Understanding my strategy, Triton flipped and aimed at Timburr, who was still stuck with Bide. Using the force of the fall, Triton's scalchop smashed into Timburr, causing heavy damage. Unable to hold the heavy log, Timburr dropped it onto itself, knocking itself unconscious. Triton had managed to jump back, panting with effort.

'Yes!' I prepared for another round but N simply shook his head.

'It's over.' He said simply.

'Huh? What about Zorua?' I asked. The black fox Pokémon was now carrying Pidove on his back.

N picked up Timburr and Tympole. 'Not this time. I lost the battle.' With that announcement there was a cheer as the crowd realised the battle was over. There were calls of congratulations, to both of us, people now moving on, no longer drawn still by the battle. There was so much noise I barely heard what N was muttering. 'Maybe I can't solve the equation that will save the world. My friends and I aren't strong enough. I need the power of the dragon! Of Reshiram.' I didn't recognise the name. 'We'll be friends-I'll become that hero.' About to ask what he meant he suddenly left and I was stopped by people offering congratulations. When they were done he had already disappeared.

I headed to the Pokémon Centre, healing my Pokémon up. I didn't really feel like explaining N to Cheren yet so I decided not to bug him. With nowhere to go I decided to explore Nacrene City. I visited the many quaint little stores in Nacrene City. Among one of the places I visited was a clothing store that sold miscellaneous items. One on of the racks hung several capes. I giggled, trying to imagine myself wearing one. I picked up a dark red one. Remembering my earlier memory, it reminded me of the man Lance. I frowned. Something about that memory began irritating me. I went over the details several times before it struck me.

The dragon Pokémon he rode.

I quickly shoved the cape back and ran back to the Nacrene Museum. Entering I stared at the skeleton. Yes, if you put flesh over the bones, it would resemble the Pokémon Lance rode. If I only knew the name. But all the plaque said was an ancient Pokémon that must have fallen from the skies.

My stomach rumbled. I headed to a restaurant where I got food for myself, Triton and Zara. I had just finished when my Xtransceiver rang. 'Hello?'

'White!' Mum was grinning. 'I got the photos you posted. How fascinating!'

I laughed. 'I was hoping you'd like it.'

'Like it? I love it. I might go see the exhibition in person.' Mum chattered. 'And you. Thinking of your dear old mother while you're on your Pokémon journey. How sweet of you.'

'Well, you're the reason I understand this stuff.' I shrugged. I was struck by an idea. 'Hey Mum. There's a Pokémon I want to know the name of. It's a dragon type and doesn't belong to Unova.'

She looked puzzled. 'Can you describe it?'

'Well, it's big and orange. Green under the wings. Stand on the hind feet. Big tail.'

'Sounds like a Dragonite.'

'A Dragonite?' I had heard the name before but never seen a picture.

Mum nodded. 'Dragonite are very rare Pokémon. They border on legendary. Very powerful and agile despite their size. Why?'

'I don't know if it's very clear in the picture but the skeleton in the Nacrene Museum? It reminds me of a Dragonite.' I informed her.

She nodded slowly. 'I see. You should probably let the curator know. That's the sort of information scholars love.'

I nodded again. 'I'll do it tomorrow.'

From there I related parts of my journey to Mum. I glossed over N in case it worried her. She told me what she had been up to since I had left. I showed her how Triton had evolved and she had gotten really excited at the sight of Zara. She didn't even seem fazed when I told her how I had gotten her; she thought it was logical dad would remember me starting my journey despite he was oblivious to other important events. I didn't argue with her. When she hung up I felt a little homesick. Triton gave me a hug while Zara, in a rare display of affection, nuzzled my hand. I laughed at how awesome my Pokémon were. Paying the bill I spent the night at the Pokémon Centre.

The next morning I headed straight to the museum. That early in the morning, it was fairly quiet. I asked the woman at the desk where the curator was. She gave me a strange look.

'Good morning.' A man with glasses came up. 'Can I help you?'

'Ah, yes, I'm looking for the curator? My name is White. I have some information they might like.'

He nodded. 'My name's Hawes, assistant director. Follow me.' He headed off as I trailed after him. He stopped at a display. 'Isn't this meteorite amazing? It emits some sort of energy from space. We're still researching it.' He headed off again.

We passed by a coal black stone. As I went to go by it, I felt a tiny jolt, making my left hand twitch. I stopped. 'Is this another meteorite?'

'Hm?' He looked at it. 'Oh, it's actually just an ordinary stone. It's old and was found in the desert. It doesn't really have any architectural or scientific value. We only show it because it looks kind of pretty.' I frowned, staring at it. 'You wanted to see the curator?'

I headed off behind him again, looking at my left hand. Had I imagined the shock? It was so faint that perhaps I had just imagined it. After all, the assistant director would know if there was anything special. But it seemed random for it to happen. I put it out of my mind when I nearly tripped on the stairs Hawes was now ascending. He stopped in front of a door. 'The Pokémon Gym is just beyond here. At the end, a very strong and kind gym leader is waiting.' He smiled. 'The Gym Leader Lenora happens to be my wife.'

'What?' I was really confused.

He grinned. 'Lenora is both gym leader and curator. If you want to see her before dark, you'll have to get through the gym.' I gaped at him. He chuckled at my face. 'I know you're a trainer. I saw you battle the green haired boy yesterday. If you don't want to take the gym challenge though, Lenora should be free after 5pm.'

I sighed. I really wanted to leave Nacrene City today. I didn't quite understand how I managed to end up challenging the gym again. 'Thanks.' I nodded to Hawes and headed in.

I stared when I got in. Shelves of books surrounded me. Wasn't this the library? Was the gym behind the library?

'Hello!'

I jumped and turned to my right as a man came out. 'Hang on, weren't you at Striaton City?'

He laughed. 'No. That was my brother. The Clyde family are proud caretakers of Unova's gyms.' He clapped his hands. 'Anyway, onto business! The gym leader is waiting for you. She uses Normal Type Pokémon, so only Fighting type are strong against them! Here's a freshwater.' I took the bottle. 'Now, your job is to find the gym leader. The first clue is in a book called Nice to Meet You, Pokémon! I hope you know how to use the library. You can also ask around if you like. Good luck!' He gave me a light push towards the shelves.

I walked in, battling a few trainers which Zara took out easily. The clues were hidden within books, which made me keep going around the shelves. The pieces of paper simply sent me from one book to another. I finally beat a girl who climbed down the step ladder. Climbing up I pulled the book down. Skipping to the end, I pulled out the memo. _You've managed to get here. Well done! You seem to have wisdom as well as strength! I look forward to our battle! Gym Leader Lenora._ I stared blankly at the book. Now where was I supposed to go? I heard a giggle and gave a small glare to the girl behind me, who was standing there with an innocent expression on her face. Turning around again, I saw a switch where the book had previously been sitting. I switched it and nearly fell off the step ladder when the shelf began moving.

I gaped as a staircase was revealed. Zara, who was waiting after the last battle, tugged at my shirt. Breaking me out of my shock, I headed down the stairs to a big basement. There were display cases at the far end but it was clearly a battle ring before it. The bushy haired woman smiled as I came in. 'Congratulations for making it down! You'll be surprised how often people struggle with my quiz. Now, let's get started shall we?' She threw out a Pokéball before I could get a word in.

Figuring I would have to beat her to talk to her I called Zara back to me. Instead I threw out Triton's ball and he came bursting out, looking excited. On her end a dog-like Pokémon came bursting out. I quickly pulled out my Pokédex to read it was a Herdier. The fierce look on her face caused Triton to hesitate. I recognised the ability Intimidate.

'Alright Herdier! Use Take Down!' The Herdier smashed hard into Triton, causing him to stumble backwards.

'Triton, Razor Shell!'

Triton charged back and hit Herdier on the head with the attack. He leapt back out of reach and waited for the next command.

'Herdier, another Take Down!' The attack hit hard. The Pokémon's pure strength and speed made it a problem. 'Again Herdier!'

'Jump and avoid!' Triton leaped into the air, avoiding the charging Pokémon. Herdier shook the dust off him, left by Triton as he had leapt. I realised that it was a dirt arena we were battling in, while the rest of the museum had been hard floor. It gave me an idea. 'Triton, Water Gun the field!' Triton shot water everywhere. 'Keep going!'

'I'm not sure what you're doing but it won't matter. Herdier, another Take Down!' The Pokémon turned and charged again, aiming for where Triton would fall. However she hit a patch of mud, tripping her over. The attack had stopped. 'What?'

I grinned. Triton landed neatly in the now muddy arena. 'Wetting dirt creates mud. Alright Triton, jump and use Razor Shell, then leap out of range!' Triton leapt forward, smashing the attack against Herdier before leaping back. While strong and fast, the Pokémon didn't have the dexterity that Triton held. The muddy field limited her ability to move, whereas Triton seemed unaffected by the change. 'Keep up this pattern! Don't stay in one spot!'

'Try using Bite when it gets near!' Lenora ordered. Herdier tried as Triton jumped around the field. However, she was unsuccessful in landing a single hit more and fainted after three more Razor Shells. The gym leader returned her to the Pokéball. 'Good work Herdier.' She turned to me. 'I'm afraid the next battle won't be so easy. Watchog, Retaliate!'

A form leapt out of the Pokéball and smashed straight into Triton. Triton let out a little yelp before fainting. I gaped at the sheer power of the attack. Pulling out my Pokédex I looked at the information. _Retaliate. A Normal type move. Doubles in power if a Pokémon from the user's party fainted in the previous turn._ I looked up to see Lenora smiling. I bit my lip. Zara was a little tired from the trainers in the library but she would just have to hold out against…whatever Pokémon that was. I looked at my Pokédex. _Watchog. Normal Type. The Lookout Pokémon_. I pulled out a Pokéball. 'Zara, let's do this!'

Zara roared at the Watchog, issuing a challenge. Lenora raised an eyebrow. 'Impressive Pokémon. Won't hold me back though. Watchog, Hypnosis!'

'Turn away!' Zara barely managed to look away in time. 'Let's raise our speed. Flame Charge!' Zara coated herself in flames and began running forward.

'Crunch!'

Zara managed to land a hit before Watchog's teeth caused damage. Looking warily at each other, I saw that Zara had sustained more damage. 'Flame Charge, again!'

'Hypnosis!'

'Turn!'

Zara managed to dodge the Hypnosis but missed the opportunity to attack. She was coated in mud now and what had previously worked to my advantage was now bothering Zara, slowing her speed slightly. Hypnosis was causing problems too. Of course, I could always manipulate the field again. 'Zara, Smokescreen! Lay it on thick!' The black smoke hid Zara from view.

'Watchog, just wait until she comes close to attack and then use Crunch.' Watchog nodded and waited warily.

'DragonRage!' I called. A ball of energy shot through the smoke and hit Watchog, who stumbled. Problem was, the attack dispersed a little of the smoke. I shook my head. I had to take the risk and trust Zara. 'Keep going!' The attacks came, one after the other. After four, the smoke had cleared enough to see the outline of Zara. 'Zara, move!'

'Crunch!' Watchog leapt forward and landed a hit on Zara, who yelped. The Pokémon leapt back but stumbled, showing exhaustion.

'Ok, this is it! Use Flame Charge!'

'Crunch, once more!'

Zara ran forward but Watchog hit first, landing a critical hit. It caused Zara to stumble. Growling, she managed to get up and plough heavily into Watchog, the attack stronger than it should've been. Watchog fainted and Zara roared in triumph. I frowned in confusion.

Lenora sighed. 'Of course. The ability Blaze.' I nodded in understanding. When Zara was weak, it would increase her attack power. She returned Watchog to her Pokéball and came forward. 'Here. The Basic Badge. Proof you've beaten me. You earned it. You're fighting style is certainly unique!' She laughed.

I smiled. 'Thank you.' I put it into my Badge Case. 'I actually came here to talk to you about something Lenora.'

She gave me a kind smile. 'What is it?'

'Well, about that fossil out front? It's-'

'Deeaaarrr!'

Lenora, Zara and I all jumped as Hawes came rushing down the stairs. Zara growled and I hastily returned her to her Pokéball in case she decided that Hawes would be an excellent target. The man in question was extremely panicky and flustered. 'Dear! Come quickly!'

Hawes led the way as Lenora and I ran after him. 'What's going on?' She asked as we ran along.

'Team Plasma is threatening to steal some bones!' He wailed.

I scowled. Team Plasma again. At least they came out openly this time and said they were stealing instead of hiding it behind pretty words. We sped up and burst out into the main part of the museum. People were screaming and whimpering as they tried to get out of the way by pushing against the walls. Team Plasma members filled the hall, all around the dragon fossil and around other exhibits. Lenora didn't hesitate and ran down the stairs to confront the members, who now looked a little nervous at the sight of the Gym Leader. 'Just you wait! What do you think you're trying to do!'

The rude man who had stopped me in the forest before answered. 'Team Plasma claims this Dragon Skull in the name of Pokémon Liberation!

'Liberation?' Hawes looked confused.

'That doesn't even make sense this time!' I cried out. Pokémon Liberation was a ridiculous idea but at least it explained why they would steal Pokémon or try and get Dream Mist to create propaganda. Fossil theft did not match up to their claims.

'What would you know?' A man sneered. I glared at him, my dislike for Team Plasma rising to hatred as I recognised the man who had been polite to me before. So much for some decent members. 'We'll take this before your eyes!'

Another member made a sudden movement and the whole place was suddenly filled with thick smoke. Unable to see and coughing, I could hear some more screams and some frantic movement before the call to move out was given. Taking a few steps forward to chase them I tripped down the stairs, landing heavily. The smoke alarm went off and the sprinklers came on, soaking everyone but clearing the smoke. Looking up from my spot on the floor I saw the skull of the fossil was missing.

'What is going on?' Lenora whispered and ran outside.

Hawes came down the stairs and helped me up. 'I heard you fall. Are you ok?'

I gently moved my ankle, wincing at the pain. 'Twisted.' I muttered. He looked at me in concern. 'It's ok, give it some time and I'll be perfectly fine. I just can't run on it for the moment.' He still looked worried. 'Come on, we've got bigger things to worry about! Can you help me outside?'

He nodded and together we managed to hobble outside. I gave a crooked smile. Another injury caused by Team Plasma. It was time they paid. Of course, I had to catch them first.

* * *

><p><em>Busy chapter. Battle with N, battle with Lenora, Team Plasma action. <em>_As I said in the last chapter I quite like the Nacrene saga. So I hope I did a decent job on it. Hoping to get the next chapter out quickly though I can't guarantee anything because I said that about the last one and well, look how that turned out. _

_Hurray for Lance! I still remember him from when I first played the game. I happen to love the Dragonite evolution chain too. I may have made it too obvious who White's parents are though. Oh well. If you get it, good for you! If not, I'll be dropping more hints and will eventually reveal who they are. Not for a while though. _

_It would be awesome if you could review so I know if I'm actually doing an ok job. But if not, thanks for reading anyway!_


	10. Crossings

Discl_ai_mer: I do not own Pokemon

_Damn assignments and exams. Had to force myself to stop so I could study. But here's the latest chapter. _

**Chapter 10: Crossings**

* * *

><p>Once outside, Hawes and I saw Lenora at the crossroads, looking around frantically. 'I can't see them.' She said, frustrated. 'They timed it perfectly. Because I had a challenger, Herdier is unconscious and can't sniff them out.' She looked at me. 'Not that it's your fault or anything.'<p>

'Good day Lenora! Find any good fossils lately?'

A bright voice called out. We turned to see a man dressed in a green shirt, green pinstriped pants and red bandanna around his neck walking, no, _swaggering_, cheerfully up to Lenora. His smile was charming and I couldn't help but be reminded of Em's uncle Wallace.

'Suffering from artist's block again?' Lenora said wearily. She turned back to me. 'White, this is Burgh. I know he doesn't look like it but he's Castelia City's Gym Leader!'

Before she could continue, Burgh shrugged dramatically. 'Just looking for a change of pace.' He frowned at the lack of smile on Lenora's face. 'Something wrong? Why are you wet?'

'Something wrong?' Lenora basically shouted in frustration. 'Someone just stole one of my fossils!' Burgh quickly came closer and Lenora began explaining what had happened in a whisper.

I looked around nervously. People were beginning to stare. I spotted a familiar hat. 'Bianca!'

The girl turned and smiled, coming over. 'Hi White! What's everyone doing here? Oh no, are you hurt?' She looked worried as I leaned on Hawes.

'Just twisted. See?' I stood up properly and though it ached, the pain wasn't strong enough for me to need support. 'Thanks Hawes.' He smiled and went to join his wife. I sighed. 'Team Plasma's shown up again.'

'What?' Bianca shouted angrily, drawing more stares. 'Don't tell me they hurt you again!' I quickly hushed her, though Burgh, Lenora and Hawes were now staring at me.

'Bianca, why are you yelling?' Cheren came out of the museum, wet as the rest of us. I remembered he had been reading in the library. 'Was there a problem? Because the museum seems to have one.' I quickly gave them a rundown and turned to see Lenora looking at us curiously.

'Your friends?' Lenora asked. I nodded and quickly introduced them. 'Yes, you challenged me yesterday Cheren. Ok, we need to split up and search. I'm going to get my Pokémon healed up and head towards Route 3. Dear, Cheren and Bianca, can you stay here and protect the museum in case they come back? White, you come with me and get your Pokémon healed. After that, follow Burgh to Pinwheel Forest. He'll be able to direct you better from there.'

Burgh nodded. 'I'll meet you at the entrance when you're ready to round up the robbers. Call if you find them.' We all quickly exchanged Xtransciever numbers and he headed off. Hawes walked into the museum.

Cheren and Bianca nodded. 'Good luck White. Be careful, ok?' Bianca gave me a hug. Cheren just nodded, as he did when he was emotional, and went into the museum. 'Wait up!' Bianca hurried after him.

Lenora walked with me as I quickly limped towards the Pokémon Centre. Our Pokémon got bumped up the line and healed quickly. She said goodbye and headed back towards Route 3. I went as quickly as I could towards Pinwheel Forest. Burgh was indeed waiting at the entrance. 'If we loose them in the wilderness, we'll have trouble.' He told me the moment I walked up. 'Know much about Pinwheel Forest?'

I shook my head. 'Not really. I've only walked through it once and I stuck to the main road. But I used to live near another forest that we would enter all the time to play, so I'm sort of used to them.' It had been a while but surely it didn't matter too much.

He nodded. 'Right, let's head in.' He ran off, as I limped and hopped behind him. I cursed my bad luck of getting injured. He was waiting inside the canopy of the trees when I entered. He had noticed my ankle was still injured. I set my jaw, determined to chase after Team Plasma. However, he didn't say anything to stop me. 'Since you're injured, I'll take the main path. I have a higher chance of catching up to them if they took it or I'll block the exit if they haven't reached it yet. Since you can't run can you take the forest path? If they chose to avoid being seen by people they would've gone that way. If you go from behind and I'm in front we can cage them in.'

I nodded. 'Yeah, I can do that.'

'There are lots of bug Pokémon, and other types as well, that aren't used to humans because most trainers take the path. Be careful.' I nodded. Burgh smiled. 'You shouldn't get lost. It's generally just one straight path. With a fossil in hand, I highly doubt Team Plasma would want to go beating through the bushes too badly. I'll see you at the end.' With that he ran off.

I took a deep breath. 'Let's do this.'

Heading left into a grassy field I could just see the gap between the trees up ahead. I limped forward, so intent on getting there, I yelped in surprise when a Team Plasma member jumped out at me. 'I'll take you on and stop you from chasing us!'

I growled in anger. Without a word I sent out Triton. The battle was over in moments. I limped onwards, ignoring the insults the member threw at me. Another member was ahead. Triton at my side, she was easily beaten as well. This time I stayed. 'Where's the dragon skull?' I demanded.

'Do I look like a person who would carry it?' She sneered. 'Look somewhere else.'

I was tempted to try and get more answers but I figured that there might be more Plasma members throughout the forest who might be more talkative and not waste my time. As I walked though, I called Burgh and Lenora to let them know I had already bumped into some members. 'Yeah, I haven't seen any here yet.' Lenora stated. 'Looks like they headed towards Pinwheel. Herdier's just doing a sweep here to see if she can smell them. I don't think they're here though. I'll come as soon as I can.'

'I haven't seen Team Plasma yet either. Looks like they haven't gotten through the forest though. Herd them this way White. We'll set a trap for them. Even if they don't have the fossil, they may know the whereabouts of it.'

'Ok.' I hung up and nodded at Triton. 'Let's catch these thieves.'

My ankle starting to feel better, I began moving faster. I entered into the thick of the trees but beyond the entrance, I couldn't see any more members. There were some trainers to battle though, as well as wild Pokémon, who I impatiently fought, bringing out Zara as well. The three of us headed through until we reached a canyon. I stopped at the barrier. 'I guess they didn't head this way after all.' I told Zara and Triton. 'So much for a straight path. Maybe I missed the turning?' There was no way though. It was pretty clear what the main path was. So I slumped down in a hollow stump, the mighty tree that once stood there lying across the canyon. I supposed I could climb up onto it and walk across but the size made it unlikely Team Plasma could've done such a thing with the Dragon Skull.

As I rested I heard a muttered curse. I sat up, still as stone, as Triton and Zara also listened hard.

'Why is this thing so darn heavy?'

'Shut up! Do you want someone to hear us?'

'Who the heck is going to hear us in this forest? No one goes down here. We were lucky that we found a path across that damn canyon.'

The argument involved people acting shifty. It definitely fit the profile of Team Plasma. I peeked out of my stump. Up on a higher ledge I could roughly see four Team Plasma members. Since they couldn't hear me they hadn't looked down but I suspected my stump was hiding me as well.

Whiny voice started again. 'Why can't we get a Pokémon to Fly this out of here?'

'I don't know! We're grunts. Leave the thinking to the upper ranks.'

'And this isn't important?'

A third voice interrupted the two arguers. 'If you've got energy to argue then use it to carry this fossil! So far the only useful person has been Tim, who found the hollow tree to cross and he did it without talking! So shut up!'

The voices went silent. Obviously person number 3 had more authority. It also sounded like they had the fossil. I called Burgh and Lenora. 'They're close and have the fossil.' I whispered.

'Think you can take them?' Lenora asked.

I nodded. 'From what I could tell, they're pretty low rank. I should be able to fight any members that come up.' I paused. 'They said it was important. Do you know any reason why a Dragonite skull would be important?'

'A Dragonite?'

'Oh, I came to tell you but before I could, Plasma came in.'

'Wow! If it is a Dragonite skull, the possibilities-'

'Not now Ladies.' Burgh interrupted. 'We'll start heading your way as soon as Lenora meets up here. Be careful.' We hung up.

I heard a rustle further in the bushes. I nodded to Zara and Triton. They prepared to attack. N came out. I swore. 'Damn it! Don't scare me like that!' I whispered.

He looked puzzled. 'I was here for a while. I heard your voice so I came to say hi.'

'Keep your voice down. Look, I'm busy at the moment. Can't stop and chat.' I glanced up, trying to see if the grunts had noticed. They had gone but it didn't look like they had spotted me.

'What's the rush?' N whispered, following my lead.

'Museum. Team Plasma. Stolen Dragonite head. Trying to get it back. Bye!' I rushed off, realising that anyone who didn't know what was already happening would have been highly confused by my sentence.

I went over to the tree, about to climb it when Triton softly called my attention. I went over and saw that the giant tree was now a giant log, hollow and big enough to walk through, even for grunts carrying a fossil. 'Straight path. Burgh could've warned me.' I muttered to my Pokémon. I headed through, coming to a clearing on the other side. Looking back at the ledge and seeing them gone I went through the grass. Triton and Zara, knowing we were close, ploughed through wild Pokémon jumping out at us. I turned the corner to see a dead end. This time I took note of a tree that had fallen onto the ledge above, the gigantic roots forming a small canopy for the grass area I was in. Hesitantly, I moved forward, to get a closer look at the bottom of the tree. Sure enough, it was hollow and I could see a light at the end of the tunnel. With Zara's tail flame lighting the way, we headed through the tree.

At the end I nearly rammed into a Team Plasma member. 'I thought I saw you come out of the tree over the canyon.' She said proudly. 'I'm here to stop you!'

It was a Patrat. Completely without orders Zara Flame Charged it, knocking it out in one go. The grunt was in shock. 'Well, must be on my way.' I grinned and ran down another hollow tree. I congratulated Zara for taking initiative on the way.

I continued to follow the path, through trees and grass. After a while I noticed my ankle no longer hurt. After gingerly testing it I began to jog, Triton and Zara speeding up to keep up. I went through another hollow log (what was with Pinwheel and logs?) to see another grunt. Two Patrats stood next to him, guarding the fossil on the ground behind them. 'A pursuer! You-'

Zara Flame Charged again. Not to be outdone Triton also leapt forward and used Razor Shell on the other one. Both went down without a fight. I smiled at the grunt. No doubt my silence was pissing him off because he sent out another Pokémon. Sadly, I didn't get to see what it was as Zara and Triton both attacked without it having fully emerged from the Pokéball. I blinked and began lecturing my Pokémon; it was all very nice to take initiative and attack the bad man's Pokémon but we mustn't do so without giving them a fighting chance. I hope they understood that next time, the Pokémon should be ready to battle.

I turned back to the grunt, who was still in shock. 'Now, hand the skull over.'

He grumbled. 'Fine. Take the stupid skill.' Triton and Zara picked it up, pulling it over beside me. I inspected it. I was no expert but it didn't look like any major damage had been done.

'The dream our king had-we had-won't come true…' The grunt whispered, staring at the skull with a longing expression.

About to ask what he meant I heard footsteps behind me. Turning around I saw an old man, with brown robes emerging from the log. Zara growled and Triton got his scalchops ready.

He ignored me and went over to the grunt. 'How are you holding up, fellow subject of our king?'

The grunt bowed. 'Gorm of the Seven Sages! I apologise for having the skull, which we worked so hard to obtain, stolen off me.' He looked terrified.

'It doesn't matter. It's not important.' Gorm said calmly. 'It turns out it is not the Pokémon we seek.'

'Hang on. You guys have a king?' What was this crazy group?

My interruption caused Gorm to pay attention to me. 'The dragon skull may be useless. But we will not allow anyone to disrupt our plans and get away with it.' I grew nervous. Weak grunts I could handle. Gorm was obviously not a grunt so chances were that he wasn't weak. 'We will fix it so you never interfere with us again.' Zara growled, flames beginning to show in her mouth. Triton called water into his mouth, ready to attack.

'Oh sweet!'

The voice made us turn to the side where Burgh came jogging up. 'What do I spy here? An important looking guy!'

'White! Burgh!' Lenora came jogging up behind him, panting. Herdier began growling at the sight of Gorm. 'Next time, wait up Burgh!' She turned to Gorm. 'Who are you supposed to be? The big boss?'

'Apparently one of the seven sages.' I answered. I was feeling relieved at the sight of the gym leaders. 'No doubt Ghetsis is one too.' The robes gave it away.

'Ghe-who?' Lenora asked.

'Ghetsis, one of the Seven Sages, will liberate Pokémon with words alone! The rest of us will take them away from trainers by force!' He paused, hesitating. 'The odds are a little against us at the moment. This time we'll retreat quietly. We'll settle it one day. I'll be looking forward to it. Gym leaders Lenora and Burgh.' He sneered at me. 'White.' With that, dragging the grunt with him, he left.

There was silence for a while. 'Not chasing them Burgh?' Lenora ventured.

'We got the skull back. That's what's important. Let's get it to the museum.' We lifted it and began carrying it out of Pinwheel, this time following the main road. Burgh continued to speak. 'I'm worried what will happen if we do corner them. Team Plasma sound like an extremist group. Extremists can be unpredictable when they're backed against a wall.'

We were silent all the way to the museum. When we got there Bianca, Cheren and Hawes instantly rushed over in relief. Lenora, after getting some workers to start restoring the headless fossil, told us about how she went to Route 3 but there was no trace. She headed to Pinwheel Forest where Burgh was waiting at the exit. Burgh stated what he went through. People had seen them near the entrance but no one had seen them at the exit. After getting my call, he met up with Lenora and headed into the forest. I told them what I saw and heard, simply beating them, grunts and kings.

'King, huh? Wonder what he's like?' Bianca pondered.

'It makes them sound more extreme.' Burgh said.

'We have heard of a group calling themselves Team Plasma pop up.' Lenora admitted. 'So far it sounded like they were just doing speeches. We got a call from Striaton recently but we thought that was a one off. Maybe we should look into this more.'

Burgh shrugged. 'There's nothing we can do until they act again.' He turned to Bianca, Cheren and me. 'In the mean time, I'll be looking forward to your challenges at the Castelia Gym. See you soon!'

Before I could explain that I wasn't really challenging gyms he was off. I sighed. 'I'm going to get my Pokémon healed up. They did an amazing job.' It had been a long day. It was starting to get late and I wanted rest.

'Can I recommend you head to Castelia City now?' Lenora said. 'The view is fantastic in the evening.'

I hesitated but Zara and Triton looked eager to keep going. 'Sounds good.' I turned to my friends.

Cheren shook his head. 'I'll go tomorrow and stick with my plan.'

Bianca also shook her head. 'I still have to beat Lenora.'

Lenora clapped her hands. 'That's right. Well, my Pokémon are all ready to go.'

'Now?' Bianca squeaked.

'No time like the present.' Hawes laughed. 'We'll just get the challenge set up for you.'

With that Lenora, Hawes and Bianca headed off to the library. Cheren paused before shrugging. 'I might as well do some reading before bed. Bye White.' He too was gone.

I sighed. 'Just us now. Come on.' Triton and Zara ran happily with me to the Pokémon Centre, healing up. The Pinwheel main road didn't offer any challengers, beyond a few trainers, and we made good time. As we got to the exit N emerged from the forest path. 'N!'

He turned in surprise as I came up. 'White?'

'Sorry about earlier. I was in a major rush. Everything's fine now though.' I smiled. Triton was saying hello to Zorua while Zara simply ignored them both. 'Heading to Castelia?'

He nodded. 'Yes. I was meant to get there earlier but I wanted to talk to the forest Pokémon.'

'Then why don't we cross together?'

He looked surprised but nodded. We started walking. 'Have you ever been to Castelia?'

'Once, a few years ago. Have you?'

He shook his head. 'I heard its Unova's second largest city. The fact that it's a port city also makes it the centre of global trade for the region.'

I shrugged, laughing. 'Probably. Don't really have any interest in trade. All I know is that is has huge skyscrapers and we have to cross the Skyarrow Bridge, which we'll see in a moment.' We stepped out of Pinwheel Forest. I heard N gasp and the Pokémon murmur in amazement. Even I was captivated by the sight.

While I had crossed Skyarrow Bridge before, it had been during the day, which was amazing enough. At night, the whole bridge _glowed_, shining and lighting the way to Castelia City, which was a blur of lights in the distance. Its normally blue metal was glimmering with gold, as the lights reflected off. The water shone as well, a fuzzy reflection of the bridge above it adding to the glamour. No wonder Lenora recommended going at night. I laughed and ran forward. 'Come on!'

Going through the gate we lost sight of the bridge for the moment. When we stepped out everyone was silent as we began the spiralling ascent to the top of the bridge. I remembered first coming here with Mum.

* * *

><p>'<em>Wow! It's huge!' I ran over to the edge, leaning over the railing to get a better view of the ocean and the forest we had just left. <em>

'_Be careful White. I don't want you falling over the edge.' Mum warned. We had arrived in the middle of the day so there weren't that many people. Mum pulled out her Pokéballs. 'Come out everyone!' _

_Out burst the Pokémon._ _They called greetings to her and cuddled up to me before spreading out on the bridge, admiring it. Hermes flew high into the air, enjoying riding on the sea breeze. The rest walked along with us, though Mum finally consented to my whining and I enjoyed the bridge while riding Qilin. _

_Following Hermes' movements I thought I saw a flash of orange. Looking to my left, I couldn't find what I had seen. Thinking it was my imagination, I went back to looking at Hermes when a flash of orange occurred on my right. Quickly looking I saw a Pokémon fly for a second and wink at me. 'Mum, mum! What Pokémon was that?' _

'_What Pokémon?' Mum had come over but she couldn't see anything. _

_After looking around for a few seconds I realised it had disappeared. 'It was small, cream white orange ears and blue eyes!' _

_Mum shook her head. 'I've never heard of it before but there are a lot of Pokémon in Unova I don't know about. If you see it again let me know.'_

* * *

><p>Even with our expansion of Unova Pokémon knowledge we still never came across it again. Maybe I should be trying to ask Professor Juniper but my vague memory didn't hold a lot of detail in it, so it was unlikely the Professor could identify the Pokémon.<p>

'Do people live in those towers?'

I was startled by N's voice. I looked at where his finger was pointing. 'Those are skyscrapers. People live in apartments in some of them but others are office buildings and the like. Never seen a skyscraper before?'

'No. They're big.' I laughed. Talk about an understatement. 'Why do they need to be so big?'

I didn't know how to explain it. 'Well-OW!' I let out a yelp of pain as something suddenly yanked my hair. It let go in a moment but I could clearly hear a Pokémon giggle. Whirling around I couldn't see anyone there.

'White?' N was staring at me in confusion, along with Triton, Zara and Zorua.

'Something just pulled at my hair! Didn't you hear it?' I simply received blank looks. 'It was really there!'

'It's late. Maybe you're just imagining.' N suggested.

I glared at him. 'The pain was real enough.'

'Maybe-'

Zorua suddenly let out a series of furious yips. He was suspended in the air, struggling against the invisible force that had him captive. He suddenly dropped and N managed to catch him before he hit the ground. Triton and Zara were both up in arms, looking around desperately for the source.

I hear laughter behind me. Turning around I saw the same Pokémon that winked at me years ago floating in front of me. 'You!'

It giggled again and flew straight at me. Yelping I stumbled back as Triton and Zara both released attacks. Easily dodging them, it flew up and grabbed my cap, yanking it off my head. I fell as my ponytail had temporarily gotten caught on it before the Pokémon managed to get it off properly. I glared at it. 'Give that back!' It simply put it on its own head. I got up and tried to snatch it back, though it simply dodged it.

Zorua jumped at it, attempting an attack. The Pokémon got in first with a Quick Attack, sending Zorua tumbling back. It stuck its tongue out at N, flew close to me, dodging my attempts to get my cap back, tugged on my bag before flying out of reach. It waved the cap enticingly, trying to get me to follow before disappearing. 'No! Give it back!' It was too late. I slumped on the ground, depressed.

'I don't think you'll be getting it back.' N said.

I tried to glare at N but gave a sigh instead. 'I can't believe it took my cap.' I muttered. Triton and Zara, seeing I was distressed, came up and tried to comfort me.

'It was only a hat.' N pointed out.

Pulling my knees up, folding my hands on top, I rested my head on my arms. 'If it was any other cap I wouldn't care but that one was special.'

N sat down next to me. 'How so?'

'It was from my dad.' I hesitated before explaining.

* * *

><p><em>It was a fair in Viridian City. Dad was home and it was one of our rare family outings, with all of us. I was so excited. We went early to visit the Viridian Gym first. I ran up just as the leader was closing for the day. 'Uncle Blue! Uncle Blue!' <em>

_Blue laughed, kneeling to give me a hug. He wasn't really our uncle but he was a pretty close family friend so we called him one. I was the only one who he openly showed this much affection to. Dad was too much of a rival, Mum was wife of said rival and Black was always bugging him for battles rather than affection. _

_After greeting us, Blue led the way, with me tagging alongside him. We wandered along, getting food, the adults watching Black (he's my older brother if you were wondering N) and me play a few games. We came to this game where Black saw a black, red and white cap with a Pokéball on it, similar to Dad's. Considering Dad was his hero he wanted it straight away. He ran up to the man running the stand, disappointed when a Pokémon was required to play this game. _

_It was an obstacle course. Depending on how fast a Pokémon could get through you would get a certain prize. Mum decided to play, to get that cap for Black. I saw a white and pink one similar to it that I quite liked but I didn't want it nearly as badly as Black so I stayed quiet. _

_Mum chose Osiris, her Umbreon. (It looks a bit like a cross between a fox and a cat, black except for a few golden rings. Sorry, they're a bit hard to describe.) Osiris powered through the course. He's a fast one so it was no surprise they managed to win the cap. Black was so happy._

_We were about to leave when Dad stopped us. He said he wanted to play. By that time we had attracted a crowd. Some people recognised Dad but most of them saw Blue and were curious at what the Viridian Gym Leader was doing. The man very happily let Dad play. So he sent out Pika, his Pikachu (You would've seen the mouse-like Pokémon topiary when you left Striaton-that's a Pikachu). If anything Pika was faster than Osiris. Dad was done in seconds. _

_To our surprise he chose the pink cap. Taking it he put it on my head and then walked off. Never one for words I was confused about what Dad did. It was Uncle Blue who had to explain it, in a whisper. 'He saw you wanted it so he decided to get it for you. It probably embarrasses him which is why he hasn't said anything.'_

* * *

><p>'I was deliriously happy to get that cap. Not because it was particularly nice looking but because it was the first and only present from Dad where he didn't have to ask Mum first about what I wanted. Except for Zara. It showed me he really cared because he took notice. Before that, I occasionally had my doubts.' I tried to explain to N, who was silent after the story. 'That cap reminds me that despite his airhead ways, he still loves me.' There was more silence. I cleared my throat and stood up. 'We should probably get going.'<p>

'Is your dad a Pokémon?'

My jaw dropped. 'What? Where did that come from?'

N stood and shrugged. 'Because only Pokémon show affection like that in small ways. Fathers are either overly emotional around their children or really strict. In fact, people are like that.'

'My dad is very human N.' I told him dryly. 'You do realise that humans and Pokémon have the same emotional scale? Both can be overly affectionate or strict or show emotions in smaller ways. People show others we care in small ways all the time. Like, when Cheren helps Bianca find a book in the library or when Bianca and I give each other hugs or when friends buy each other lunch or when a father decides to give spontaneous gifts.' I scowled. I wasn't explaining this well. 'Didn't your parents ever give you a hug or tucked you into bed at night?'

There was a pause. 'I don't have a mother.' N explained. 'Father never did those things because he was trying to raise me to be the very best I could be, so a hard regime was what I needed.'

I felt bad. 'Well, whatever works for you.' I turned to face the city. 'We should get going. It's getting late.'

We were silent as we entered the city. It was impressive with the busy streets and the tall buildings, all lit up but I think we were both distracted. 'I'm going to stay in a hotel tonight.' I told N. 'The Pokémon Centre here is always really full because there are always so many people coming and going and the facilities aren't the greatest. What about you?'

'I already have accommodations.' N said calmly, picking Zorua up.

I nodded. 'I'll see you around maybe.'

'I'll keep an eye out.'

I turned back to him. 'Hmmm?'

N looked away. 'I'll keep an eye out for your cap.'

I smiled. 'Thanks N. I will too. Between the both of us, I'm sure we'll get it back.' I joked.

'Bye then.' N walked down the street.

I sighed and turned to Triton and Zara. 'Time to go back into your Pokéballs. I don't want to lose you in this crowd.' They nodded and returned. I stretched. 'Time to find a room.'

* * *

><p><em>Hello Castelia City. Am I glad to finally get here. Well, we've seen Team Plasma and N all in the one chapter. Pretty full this one. If you can't guess White's Dad from this chapter, I'll be surprised. Or maybe it's obvious to me? <em>

_Anyway, hopefully with all my assignments done I can update faster (or not, knowing me. Fingers crossed though). Thanks for reading and please review!_


	11. Chasing Victory

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon_

_Bit of a shorter chapter this time. Consider it part one of a three/four part Castelia adventure. If I didn't split it here, the chapter would've been heaps long and I prefer it here. Anyway, enjoy!_

**Chapter 11: Chasing Victory**

* * *

><p>I found a room for three in a hotel in Castelia City. Cheren came the next day. When I asked him to help split the payment three ways he stated that he would rather save his money. The next morning I received a call on my Xtransceiver from a dishevelled and tired Cheren. 'That room still available?'<p>

I decided to wait for Bianca. I was sure she'd get overwhelmed when she first set foot in Castelia. However, Cheren informed me that she had lost her battle with Lenora and was stuck in Nacrene until she could defeat her. Cheren was stuck in Castelia too. It turned out that Burgh had been called away by his muse (again) and wouldn't be accepting challengers for a few days. Cheren added his name to a list of waiting trainers and would be called when he came back.

We spent that time exploring Castelia City. Little art galleries and different cuisines. I lost Cheren for a while when he found the Battle Company. I decided to give Triton and Zara a rest so I went exploring without him. I was proud when I met a dancer and managed to help him pull a dance troupe together. They regularly practiced in the Central Plaza so I often went to watch them in the evening or at night.

A week after I arrived as I was eating lunch (Cheren had gotten the message that Burgh was back) I received a call from Bianca. 'Hey, I got your message. Just letting you know I've arrived!'

'Cool.' I quickly left some money on the table, paying for my meal. 'I'll meet you at the gate.'

'See you soon!'

I rushed as fast as I could through the crowd. Even so it still took me a good half hour to get there. As soon as I ran through the gate I collapsed next to Bianca on the seat. 'S-sorry I t-took so long.' I panted.

Bianca laughed. 'Why are you sorry? I made you delay your journey for a week!'

'Did you get it?'

Bianca nodded. Fumbling through her bag she pulled out the Basic Badge. 'It took me ages. In the end we trained so hard that Tep evolved into a Pignite and learnt some fighting type moves that are apparently really effective against normal types.'

'So you got Tep to evolve!'

She nodded again. 'Look, Nurse Joy was so proud she gave me free passes to a place called Liberty Island. Heard of it?'

I shook my head. 'The name seems vaguely familiar though I'm not sure where from.'

'Hmmm…I probably should've asked her.'

I jumped up. 'We should go dump your stuff in the hotel room. I hope you don't mind I decided to rent a room rather than stay at the Pokémon Centre. It does cost a bit more than usual.'

Bianca laughed as she got up. 'I don't mind at all! It'll be nice to stay somewhere different.' We walked out of the gate. 'Whoa! This place is huge! Look at all the people!'

I laughed. 'Come on, this way.'

For a while Bianca's mouth was gaping as she looked around in awe. She began asking questions about Castelia and I pointed out places I'd visited during my stay here. Eventually we arrived at our hotel. Once inside Bianca said, 'I've been meaning to ask. Where's your hat?'

I sighed. 'I lost it.'

'How?' I told her about meeting N and the strange Pokémon. Cheren hadn't inquired further after I told him I had lost my cap, so I ended up telling her everything. 'That's a shame. Are you going to get a new one?'

I shrugged. 'Probably not. I'm disappointed about losing the old one but I didn't really need it.'

Bianca, in a rare moment of perception, saw that I wasn't really ok with losing the old one. 'Tell you what. Let's go do something tomorrow. Have some fun! I mean, when was the last time we really hung out?'

I laughed. 'I'm in.'

We simply spent the rest of the day talking. When Cheren came back in the evening he was looking exceptionally grumpy as it seemed, though Burgh was back, Cheren was too far down the list of trainers to be able to face him today. Bianca and I ended up taking him out to dinner, trying to cheer him up though he insisted he didn't need cheering up. Bianca pulled out the passes, declaring we should go exploring, to try and find out where Liberty Garden was.

'It's a little island on the Western side of Unova where the Liberty Lighthouse is.' Cheren answered instantly.

Bianca looked a little disappointed. 'How do you know that?'

He pulled his map out, pointing to a tiny dot on it. 'See, that's Liberty Garden. The Liberty Lighthouse is famous in Unova as a symbol for people and Pokémon living freely together. Plus, there's a ship sitting at Pier 4 that goes to it. I looked it up on the map when I saw the sign.'

'That must be where I recognise the name!' I cried out.

'Well if there's a ship that goes there, let's go tomorrow.' Bianca said. I nodded in agreement.

Cheren shook his head. 'Nah, there's a good chance I'll get to battle Burgh tomorrow so I'll stay here thanks.'

* * *

><p><em>Mum, Black and I stood at the top of Glitter Lighthouse. Black and I were thrilled at the sight of Amphy the Ampharos lighting the lighthouse that night. The Lighthouse was electronically run now but this was a special day, celebrating the building of the Glitter Lighthouse so, like in the past, a Pokémon was doing the honours. <em>

_I looked up to see Mum, rather than looking at the Ampharos as everyone else was doing, looking out over the sea. 'Mum?' _

'_There's a North Wind blowing. I wonder if he's here today.' Mum murmured. _

'_Who's here?' I asked. _

_She started as if she hadn't realised I was there. 'Sorry White?' _

'_Who's here today?' _

_She shook her head. 'No one sweetie. I was just talking to myself. Now hush and pay attention to Jasmine and Amphy.'_

* * *

><p>Bianca and I got up the next morning, packing our bags. We would be staying the night in Liberty Garden before coming back to Castelia City. Cheren would be keeping our hotel room for us as he waited to battle Burgh. So we were at Pier 4, also known as Liberty Pier, waiting to board the ship.<p>

'Hey, what's that boat?' I looked over to where Bianca was pointing. There was a plain black boat sitting at Pier 2 in the distance. It was a contrast to the white and multicoloured ships sitting at the docks.

I squinted. 'It doesn't have a name.'

'Maybe you can't see it from here.'

'Maybe but you can normally see them on the front.'

Before Bianca could reply the call came that we were allowed to board. We rushed on, trying to get a seat outside to enjoy the warm day. We managed to get one on the side. Soon after the ship set off Bianca got up to lean on the rail, to really enjoy the breeze. She held her beret firmly on her head but leaned over as far as she could. For most of the trip I ended up worrying about her falling over and tried to convince her to join me on the seat. She did eventually but only because she got tired of standing.

Liberty Lighthouse was located on an island off the West Coast of Unova. It was tall and stood shining against the clear blue water. We pulled up on Dock 1. Getting off I read the sign. 'What's it say?' Bianca asked, leaning over to try and see.

'Something about some rich guy buying the island and building the lighthouse.' I shrugged. 'Sounds pretty boring.'

'Well, let's go see it then!' Bianca said excitedly and would've gone bouncing off if I hadn't caught her arm.

'We should reserve a room in the Pokémon Centre, remember?' I reminded her, gently tugging at her arm.

She giggled. 'Oh right. Well, let's go!'

I was pulled along by an excited Bianca. I didn't mind. Her excitement was catching and I was feeling pretty cheery myself. We got a room together and grabbed lunch before heading down the road to the lighthouse. I let out Triton and Zara and Bianca released her Pokémon. 'Oh, you got new Pokémon!' I watched as Triton greeted Tep and Lilli. A Munna hovered nervously near Bianca while a bud Pokémon hopped forward to greet Triton. I pulled out my Pokédex. _Petilil. The Bulb Pokémon. Grass type._ Zara watched them cautiously at my side. 'Is that Munna…?'

Bianca nodded. 'Yep. It's the same one from the Dreamyard. This is Munny. And I caught Peppi in Pinwheel Forest.'

'Wow.' I saw how close the Munna hovered to Bianca. 'They really like you.'

Bianca giggled. 'Thanks. You haven't gotten any new Pokémon?'

I made a face. 'I guess I've been a little distracted.'

'Don't worry! I'm sure you'll catch some soon!' As we approached the lighthouse Bianca's eyes grew wider. 'It's so big!'

It was pretty impressive. The light wasn't on at the moment but it did tower over us. I heard our Pokémon murmur over it together. In fact, the murmuring of tourists heading to see the lighthouse was quite loud. I tore my eyes away to look at the path leading up to the lighthouse to find a crowd blocking it. 'What's going on?'

As Bianca and I approached the back of the crowd we heard angry whispers. We could barely see the group of Team Plasma members blocking the path. We couldn't see their Pokémon though we could hear their angry snarls and growls. 'Can't believe they aren't letting us through.' 'What are they doing?' Were some of the whispers I could hear among the crowd.

'Look, Team Plasma has something to do at the Liberty Lighthouse.' One of the grunts yelled above the crowd. 'Stay away. If you have a problem, tell it to my Scyther.'

In response a strong looking Scyther jumped up next to him, slashing at the air. It had been such a long time since I'd seen one I'd forgotten how scary they could look. The crowd must've agreed with me because, despite muttered protests, they slowly began to disperse. I took one look at Bianca and dragged her away. 'Come on.'

'But they-'

'Someone could get hurt.'

Bianca gave up protesting but she looked upset at being pulled away. We stopped at a park, letting our Pokémon play together. 'They don't have the right to do that!' Bianca said indignantly.

I nodded. 'I know but that Scyther looked really strong. I don't think there's much we could've done.'

'You beat them in the Dreamyard, on Route 3 and in Pinwheel Forest!' Bianca cried.

'I didn't come up completely uninjured, remember? And there's a lot more people that could get hurt this time.'

She finally seemed to calm down. 'I guess…What was that Pokémon anyway? You called it a Sitha?'

'Scyther.' I corrected. 'It's a Pokémon native to Kanto.'

'Kanto? I wonder why Team Plasma has one.'

I shrugged. 'Probably got it through a trade. What should we do now?'

We ended up shopping that afternoon. Even though we hadn't seen the lighthouse up close we still went through souvenirs and the like. I ended up getting mum a miniature replica of the lighthouse which I intended on sending tomorrow morning. We ended up getting dinner at a little café and had just finished when Professor Juniper called.

We clicked our Xtransceivers to see Juniper's smiling face and Cheren looking grumpy again. 'Hi everyone! How are you going?'

'I didn't make the list to battle Burgh today.' Cheren grumbled. 'They did say I was top of the list, so I'll get to battle him first tomorrow.'

'That's too bad.' Juniper said sympathetically. 'And what about you two?'

'We're on Liberty Island.' Bianca replied.

'Oh, have you seen the lighthouse yet?' Juniper asked.

I shook my head. 'Some Team Plasma grunts were blocking the way.'

'Has something happened?' Cheren asked urgently.

Bianca scowled. 'Nothing quite yet. They were threatening to hurt anyone who got in their way though.'

'Unless they act on it I'm not sure there's anything we can do for now.' I said.

'Hmm…maybe….' Professor Juniper bit her lip, obviously thinking.

After a long silence Cheren tentatively asked, 'So why did you call us Professor?'

She looked startled. 'Oh, right! I just checked the data your Pokédexes have been sending to my computer. You've all seen many kinds now and it's really helping my research! So, next time you come by Nuvema Town, I have a gift for you!'

'Awesome!' I was the most enthusiastic because I had a feeling that any gift given by a Pokémon Professor must be either useful or rare.

'Professor, can I ask you something?' She nodded at Bianca. 'There was a Pokémon that Team Plasma had called a Scyther. White said they were from Kanto. I tried to look it up on the Pokédex but it said no data? Why is that?'

'Ah. Your Pokédexes are currently programmed to only recognise Unova native Pokémon. When you've seen more of them, I'll update your Pokédex to recognise Pokémon from other regions but until then, I'm afraid I want information based on Unova Pokémon.'

'Ok. I was just curious.' Bianca smiled.

'You said you saw a Scyther?' Cheren sounded envious.

I snorted. 'Yeah, it was being used by Plasma to threaten the crowd.'

Professor Juniper frowned. 'If they have a Kanto based Pokémon…Never mind. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to the three of you for helping my research. Good luck with your gym battle Cheren and have fun at Liberty Island, Bianca and White!' The call ended.

I got up, stretching. 'Come on. Let's go sit on the dock or something.' We split the bill and began walking towards the wharf. As the ship didn't run at night there weren't too many people on the docks. Instead, Bianca and I sat down and watched cargo ships pass by, headed for different Unovan cities. We simply chatted for a while until something tugged at my ponytail. 'What?' I turned around and saw the Pokémon that had stolen my cap grinning mischievously at me. The cap still rested on its head. 'You!' I tried to snatch the hat but it pulled away, floating in the air above, just out of my reach.

'It's Victini!' I looked over to see Bianca had pulled out her Pokédex. Huh, wonder why I didn't think of that earlier? 'The Victory Pokémon. Psychic and Fire type. It's said this Pokémon brings victory. It is rumoured that any trainer with this Pokémon will always win, no matter what the encounter.'

I scowled. 'Well, it's not winning this time.' I leapt for the hat but it simply floated backwards. I continued to try and grab it, Bianca eventually coming to help but it kept flying out of our reach, never leaving, teasing us.

I'm not sure how long we were at it. Eventually Victini floated through some bushes. As Bianca went to leap after it I grabbed her and pulled her down into them. 'Wha-?' I put my fingers up to my lips, shushing her. We were near the base of the lighthouse. There was a Team Plasma grunt not too far away from us, guarding the area with a Herdier. Victini was nowhere in sight. 'What do we do now?' Bianca whispered.

'We should probably head back.' I whispered back.

As I began crawling backwards to leave, Bianca tugged at my arm. 'Look!' She whispered. She pointed to the top of the lighthouse, where the light was now shining. I looked and saw the silhouette of Victini. It moved out of the light, grabbed my cap and waved it about before flying into the lighthouse. 'Let's go.'

'Are you crazy?' I pulled her down. 'What about the Team Plasma guy right there?'

'But Victini has your cap.'

'I'll live without it.' I growled. 'Besides, how're we meant to get past Team Plasma and into the lighthouse?'

I shouldn't have said the last sentence. Bianca's eyes brightened at the idea of a challenge and she got that look in her eyes. The one where she thinks she has a brilliant idea and her wilfulness and stubbornness usually ended up dragging me along. Like having our first Pokémon battle in my room. She took out a Pokéball and released her Munna. 'Munny, do you think you can sneak up on the man and his Herdier and use Yawn on them?' Munny nodded and floated off, hidden by the night and shadows. I didn't notice anything but the effects soon became apparent. The two suddenly slumped over, asleep on the floor. Bianca crawled out of our hiding place, praising Munny while I followed cautiously. 'Alright, since we don't know how long Yawn will last, we should go.' She started running up the hill.

I jogged behind her. 'This is a bad idea.'

'Come on! Let's get your cap back. It's important to you, right?' Bianca, now set in her plan, ran faster.

We came across the fence surrounding the lighthouse. There was a sign, which I struggled to read in the dark. 'Bianca I don't think we should go in. I mean, what if there are more Plasma grunts? Plus, visitors aren't even allowed in normally.'

'I'm sure the owners don't mind. We'll just send any Plasmas to sleep with Munny.' Bianca climbed over the fence, an impressive feat considering she was wearing a tight skirt. 'Come on White!'

And with that I sighed. 'Why do I always let you drag me into trouble?' I climbed over the fence, full of trepidation.

* * *

><p><em>And that is it for this chapter. Bianca has a major role in Castelia so she's gonna be present a lot in the next few chapters. I always like Bianca in the game because she was someone who wasn't good at battling, as everyone seemed to be in the other games but she still did whatever she could and did her best. I'm a bit of a softie for the underdog.<em>

_Did I give away White's mother? I mean, I knew I gave away who her father was in the last chapter but it was never supposed to be a big mystery. I kinda wanted her mother to be more hidden in terms of who she was. _

_Yes, Bianca doesn't have a Pansage. I gave her a Petilil instead because a) since White doesn't have a Pansear, there was no point going with the three elemental monkey theme b) I don't like the elemental monkeys c) I actually like Petilil/Liligant but White's team will not consist of one and since Bianca needed a grass type she got one instead. I know White has been a bit slow in catching Pokemon-most of the Unova Pokemon I liked tended to appear in the second half of the region-but whether or not she'll get a new Pokemon soon, well, you'll have to wait to find out. (If you haven't guessed already-and if I didn't just give it away with this sentence). _

_Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!_


	12. New Friend, Lost Friend

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon_

_Woah! I actually updated this really quickly! Somehow this chapter was just really easy to write! Hope I can keep going on with this pace._

**Chapter 12: New Friend, Lost Friend**

* * *

><p>To my surprise the door to the Lighthouse wasn't locked. We quietly slipped in. Before I could say anything, Bianca closed the door, leaving us in total darkness, unable to see a thing. Deciding to take the risk, since we couldn't very well walk without light, I sent out Zara whose tail flame gave us something to go by. She began growling but I motioned for her to be quiet. While she still growled it was at a much quieter level.<p>

We heard some rustling and we all spun around to see an elderly man, gagged and bound to a chair. We rushed over and, using Zara's claws, cut him free. Bianca and I gently helped him stand up. In Zara's light I could see he was wearing the uniform of a security guard. 'Thank you girls. I thought I would be stuck forever.'

'Are you going to be okay mister?' Bianca asked in concern.

He waved a hand. 'I'll be fine. We should get out of here.'

'Who did this to you?' I don't know why I asked. Maybe I wanted to delay the answer.

'Team Plasma.' The man confirmed my belief. 'They arrived on Dock 2 and charged in, saying they wanted the Lighthouse. Tied me up and said they wouldn't release me until they were finished. We'll get out and contact the police.'

I began to nod but froze when I saw Bianca's face. She was scowling, something she only did when she was beyond mad. 'No.' I couldn't believe my ears. 'We're going after them.'

'Are you mad? You could get hurt! You're just a little girl.' The man said, trying to tug her arm.

Her scowl deepened. 'That's what my dad says. We're going to stop whatever they are they're going to do.'

The security guard looked at me. I shrugged helplessly. 'There's nothing anyone can do once she's like this. Except maybe Cheren but he's in Castelia.'

He frowned. 'Are you both going?'

Bianca gave me a look. I sighed. 'Yes.' I leant over to whisper to the old man. 'I can't stop her but maybe I can convince her to simply scout and lay low until the police come.'

He gave us a worried look but nodded. 'Fine. Be careful.'

'You too. We sent one of the guards to sleep but I don't know if he's woken up yet.' I told him.

Bianca pulled her beret on more firmly. 'Let's get to the top.'

The security guard shook his head. 'Whatever Team Plasma wanted, it wasn't the lighthouse. They headed to the basement.'

I raised an eyebrow. 'What's in there?'

He shrugged. 'Nothing but junk.'

'Better get going mister.' Bianca murmured.

He nodded. 'Thank you again and good luck you two.' With surprising stealth for an old man he slipped outside.

I grew nervous now we were alone again. 'We are just checking things out. We are not going to confront them.' I warned Bianca.

She growled. 'We'll see.'

We slowly began creeping down the stairs, Zara leading the way. We turned a corner and surprised two Plasma grunts. Both parties were in shock for a moment before the Plasma grunts sent out a Purrloin and a Pidove. It was a bit of a letdown as Zara and Munny went into action. Bianca and I had no trouble co-ordinating and pulling off a double battle. Zara brought down Purrloin and Munny defeated Pidove. Bianca soon sent the grunts asleep.

We crept onwards, occasionally coming across grunts, defeating them and sending them to sleep. Maybe it was a bit cruel but we didn't have another option. It made me nervous because Yawn's effects weren't permanent and I wasn't sure if they had woken up and were coming after us. After what seemed like hours we finally came to the basement door. Three grunts stood outside, keeping guard. Peeking around the corner we had a silent debate on what to do. We decided to keep Triton in reserve and sent Zara, Tep and Munny into battle. After the first shock, they sent in their Pokémon. The battle, while harder than the grunts before, was still pretty easy. They were down in moments. However, before Munny could send all of them to sleep, one managed to slip off, yelling something about reinforcements. I returned Zara so her flame wouldn't give away our approach into the next room. Giving each other uneasy looks we headed into the basement.

The man from yesterday stood there, Scyther at the ready. 'Well, I didn't expect the two intruders to be little girls.' He sneered.

'Bad guys never do.' Bianca replied firmly.

'What do you want with Liberty Lighthouse?' I asked.

He glared at me. 'We don't want anything with the lighthouse. But the horrible man who owned this place trapped a Pokémon downstairs. We're here to free it.'

Bianca hesitated. I saw that his argument made sense but there was so much more he wasn't saying. 'And I suppose threatening people was part of the plan? I mean, you could've told the police or other Pokémon rescue crews and they would've helped. Why hide it?'

'Victini is said to bring victory to the trainer who owns it. If we free it, the Pokémon will be so grateful it'll stay with us. We'll never lose. People will have to let their Pokémon go!' He laughed.

'Victini?' Bianca said in surprise. 'I don't think it's trapped at all. I think you're trying to force it to do your will! Just like you guys tried with Munny in the Dreamyard!'

The man gave us a calculating look. 'So it was you two in the Dreamyard huh? Not the first time you've gotten in our way. This time I'll make sure you won't. Scyther! Rhyhorn!'

Scyther stepped forward as the man released a Rhyhorn. It roared, filling up the small space as it burst out of the Pokéball. Bianca looked at it in fear. 'Bianca, send out Tep! Scyther will be weak to his fire attacks and Rhyhorn is weak to fighting types. Quick!' I whispered to her. The man was grinning at us. I had a feeling he thought that two unknown Pokémon we would get scared and run off. Of course, he didn't know I had grown up in Kanto and knew about them.

Bianca, looking nervous but determined, sent out Tep. He snarled at the larger Pokémon, refusing to show fear. Deciding to give Zara a break, I sent out Triton. He came out leaping. 'Bianca, go for Scyther! Triton, use Razor Shell on Rhyhorn!'

'Scyther, Wing Attack and Rhyhorn, Bulldoze! Aim for that Pignite!'

'Um, Tep, use Flame Charge on Scyther!'

'Triton, stop Rhyhorn from hitting Tep!'

Tep slowly charged up, gathering flames around itself. Scyther, the fastest Pokémon, hit first, sending Tep sprawling, though his flames didn't dissipate. As Rhyhorn went to charge Triton leapt in front of Tep. He thrust one of his scalchops into the ground, the watery sword forming a thin barrier. The other he used to whack Rhyhorn on the head. Standing his ground, he managed to lessen the power of Rhyhorn's attack, the other scalchop temporarly blocking the way, though it did manage to hit both Triton and Tep. However, Tep had charged up by then and smashed into Scyther with lots of power.

'Dammit Scyther and Rhyhorn! Knock out that Pignite!'

Rhyhorn backed up. I grinned. Rhyhorn was powerful, yes. But its movement was limited by the small space we had. 'Triton, use Water Gun on Rhyhorn for as long and hard as possible! Bianca, try and stop Scyther from interfering somehow!'

Triton planted his feet firmly on the ground and pushed out water, hard as he could. Scyther went to hit Pignite but to my surprise, Bianca called him back. Instead she sent out Peppi. Surely she knew Peppi would be weak to bug and flying types? 'Peppi, Stun Spore, everywhere!' I went to protest but Bianca shook her head. 'I know what I'm doing.'

Peppi was hit by Wing Attack, crying out in pain but she managed to stay awake. Instead, she released a yellow powder which blew everywhere in the room, landing on Scyther, Rhyhorn and Triton. As of them slowed and I saw Triton's power weaken. 'Keep going Triton!' Triton did me proud by standing firm.

'Peppi, get close to Triton and use Aromatherapy, just around yourselves!' Peppi leapt forward at her trainer's command and healed Triton's paralysis. I raised an eyebrow at Bianca. 'I know it was risky but we had to take the chance.' It was extremely risky and there were probably other, safer ways of delaying Scyther but it was still an impressive strategy.

Triton's water finally ran out. He stood gasping for a moment. 'Bianca, use Peppi. Rhyhorn will be weak to grass attacks. Triton, use Razor Shell on Scyther!'

'Rhyhorn, Rock Blast that Dewott! Wing Attack Petilil Scyther!'

'Peppi, use Giga Drain!' Peppi hit first, draining Rhyhorn of all its energy. Rhyhorn fainted, leaving the man cursing. Triton smashed into Scyther, cutting at it with his scalchops. Scyther still managed to land a hit on Peppi, leaving her stumbling.

Scyther seemed stubborn, managing to remain in battle. When the grunt didn't send anymore Pokémon out, I knew he only had the two. 'Triton, return!' I switched Pokémon. 'Zara, let's finish this!' I felt some satisfaction when the man looked horrified at the sight of a Charmeleon roaring as she came out of her Pokéball. 'Flame Charge it!'

'Scyther, Quick Attack!'

'Peppi, Sunny Day!'

'Dodge it Scyther!

In the mysterious way of Pokémon bright sunlight filtered into the room. In a bad move, the Scyther came in for the first attack, hitting Zara. But Zara's flames were superheated by Sunny Day and her attack hit Scyther, who had moved in too fast to be able to dodge Zara's Flame Charge, sending the Pokémon flying into the wall, unconscious.

The man returned his Pokémon into their balls. 'Mark my word. You two will pay.' He growled before running off.

I turned to Bianca. 'Sunny Day?'

She nodded. 'One of the trainers in Nacrene City helped me teach Peppi Sunny Day while training in Pinwheel Forest. It was able to charge up Tep's moves in the gym battle and help defeat Lenora.'

'Anyway, we should hurry before reinforcements come.' I looked around the room. 'I don't see how Victini could possibly be in here.'

'Maybe it's hidden?' Bianca suggested. We searched for a while in silence until she slapped her forehead. I jumped at the sound. 'Of course! Lilli, come out!' Bianca's Herdier came out, yipping in excitement. 'Lilli, can you see if you can smell out White's cap?' The Pokémon nodded and began sniffing around. Eventually it reached a bookcase and barked.

We went over, exploring. 'I don't see anything.' I remarked.

'I don't think Herdier could've gotten it wrong.' Bianca kept pressing random bits of wood, pulling out books as she went.

'Well we can't find the switch.' I went to grab a candle on a shelf to try to get better light when it simply slid. There was a creaking noise and I jumped, turning to see the bookshelf sliding open to reveal stairs going down. 'Never mind.'

'Let's go.' Bianca was down in moments, Zara and I chasing her to give her light to see by.

We eventually entered a little room. There were drawers, a bench, photos and a bed in the corner. It was all concrete walls, except for a small window that had bars on the outside, no doubt for ventilation, though half of it was concealed by a concrete wall. The bars had rusted though and two of them were broken, leaving enough room for a small, mischievous little Pokémon to escape through. Victini had been bouncing on some cushions on the floor but when it saw us, it flew into the air, giggling while clutching my cap.

I took in the room. 'Have you been living here by yourself?' I asked. Victini shook its head and floated over to a photo. Walking over we saw Victini and a man in the same room, smiling at the camera. 'Wasn't he…?'

'The millionaire that bought this island and built Liberty Lighthouse.' Bianca gasped. 'It was on one of the information boards.'

I looked at Victini sadly. 'Then Team Plasma was right this time. You were locked up. Though you managed to escape.'

'Maybe it was looking for company when it stole your cap.' Bianca suggested.

I hesitated. 'Victini, do you want to come with us?' It seemed to consider it for a moment. It floated up and gently placed the cap back on my head. When I took a Pokéball out though, it leapt backwards and growled. 'A battle huh? Alright then. Let's catch it Zara!' Zara growled and stepped forward. Victini glowed for a moment and suddenly, Zara was surrounded by an inferno. I yelped in surprise. 'Zara!' The attack ended and she came out stumbling and growling in anger. 'Alright, use DragonRage!' Zara let loose the attack and it smashed into Victini hard. It fell from the air and hit the floor hard. It struggled to get up. I looked at Victini stupidly for a moment.

'Victini's only Level 14.' Bianca said, looking at her Pokédex.

'What?'

She nodded. 'Apparently the attack it used, Searing Shot, is powerful but it's born knowing how to use it. Zara is a lot stronger than it.'

'Oh.' I looked blankly then shook my head. 'Alrighty, Pokéball, go!' I threw it and it hit Victini on the head. The ball shook three times then clicked, letting me know I caught it. I released it and sprayed a potion on it. It shook its head, revived. 'You coming with us?' It nodded its head.

'What are you gonna call it?' Bianca asked, as Zara sniffed at her new team mate.

I let Triton out, so he too could meet the newest member. 'Victini is the victory Pokémon right? I'll call him Tory. Do you like that?' Tory, as he was now known, nodded his head violently. 'Ok then. Let's get out of here.'

We had obviously spent the whole night here as, when we came up slowly, the rooms and corridors were beginning to lighten in the dawn light. We cautiously went up but to my surprise, we didn't bump into any Team Plasma members. We got to the exit of the Lighthouse and hesitated. 'Anyway of telling if they're outside?' I asked Bianca.

She shook her head. 'I don't have any ideas.'

Tory floated to the floor and concentrated. A reflective wall of light was created and he slipped it between the gap of the door. 'Clever way to use Light Screen.' I commented, pressing my eye to the gap to see what was outside. Bianca copied me.

We both sighed in relief at the sight and opened the door. Stepping out, the Team Plasma members that were surrounding and patrolling the place were tied up, handcuffed by the police surrounding them. The security guard we had rescued came up to us, smiling in relief. 'You're safe!'

'Luckily.' I joked. 'You got the police.'

'Not exactly.' He shrugged. 'They were already on the way here when I went to get them. It just took a while to catch them all so we couldn't go after you.'

'Already on the way?' Bianca asked in confusion.

'I contacted them after I called you last night.' We looked past the security guard to see Professor Juniper standing there. 'I'm glad you two are alright.'

'Professor Juniper!' Bianca and I said simultaneously in shock.

'Let us go! You won't be able to stop Team Plasma!' We looked over to see the police dragging Team Plasma away as they cried out their protests. The last man in line, the one who had the Scyther, looked back at us and gave us a grin before he was dragged away. I shuddered and turned back to Professor Juniper.

'Thanks to you these people were captured.' As we both began to protest Professor Juniper silenced us. 'No, if you hadn't battled them, sent them to sleep and distracted them when you reached Victini the police would've had a harder time apprehending them.'

Tory laughed and took my cap, shoving it on his head. I sighed. 'Just don't lose it, ok?' He giggled, flying circles around us.

'You caught Victini?' Juniper asked in surprise.

'He wanted to go with White.' Bianca explained the whole story to her.

'Victini is said to be a mythical creature that is said to radiate energy from its body. When people and Pokémon come into contact with that energy, it fills up their bodies, and they exhibit more power than usual.' Juniper said in wonder, watching Tory go around.

'Explains why he has so much energy.' I rolled my eyes.

'Why would anyone want to lock up a Pokémon like that?' Bianca pondered.

'There were a number of people in the past that tried to use Victini for their own evil deeds. Similar to Team Plasma.' The Professor explained. 'I'm sure that the man who built that underground chamber simply was trying to protect him. He meant well but I think it was a mistake to do so.' She paused. 'I think Tory will do well with you White. I don't believe you'll misuse his powers. It's your responsibility to make sure no one else does either.' I nodded. She gave a sigh. 'I'm worried though.'

'About what?' Bianca asked.

'Team Plasma. Tory was a well kept expensive secret. It would've cost a lot of money to find out his location. And the appearance of a Scyther and Rhyhorn suggests that they might have connections with Kanto as well. I'm a little nervous at the extent of Team Plasma's reaches.' She bit her lip. 'I don't suppose there's anything much I can do. I'll let the police know about Scyther and Rhyhorn.'

'Professor Juniper?' A policeman had come up. 'We're leaving for the mainland, whenever you're ready.'

'Oh yes.' She nodded to us. 'You two take care ok? Thank you again.' She left.

I sighed. 'Since we're here, we might as well check out the rest of Liberty Lighthouse.'

We spent the day exploring the outer lighthouse and the upper floors. We were done by lunch, as more people rolled in, with news of Team Plasma gone. Zara had returned to her Pokéball but I found out that Tory didn't like staying in it for too long. Considering his size, it didn't matter, so he often sat on my shoulder, occasionally wearing my cap but always returning it. Bianca too had returned her Pokémon to their balls, though she let them out on the walk back. Giving them to the nurse to heal up, we grabbed our stuff from the room we never slept in and, after picking up our Pokémon, got on the ship back to Castelia. We nearly fell asleep on the ride back. Tory, who didn't like the crowds of Castelia, went back into his Pokéball.

Dragging our feet to out hotel room, Cheren was lying on his bed. He smiled smugly at us, letting us know he had won the Insect Badge from Burgh. 'So how was Liberty Island?'

Both of us simply grunted and collapsed asleep on our beds, exhausted from the night's adventure.

* * *

><p>'<em>I don't like big cities. Too many places to get lost.' <em>

_I looked at Em in surprise. Mum had just taken us to Saffron City, to buy some items. I had a lot of fun on the trip. _

_Black agreed with me. 'We got to visit Silph Co. though! It was huge! And we saw all these cool Pokémon items.' _

_Em shrugged. 'But it's so crowded. I don't like being around lots of people. I don't mind Celadon City because, even though there's heaps of people, there's still lots of room to move around.' _

'_But there's so much to do!' I argued. _

_She shrugged again. 'I like it here. You know people. In the cities, you don't know the people who live around you. I don't like that. Anything can happen next door and you'd never know.'_

* * *

><p>I suddenly woke up to a door opening. I sat up to see Cheren entering the room. 'Oh, you're awake.' He said.<p>

'What time is it?' I asked groggily.

'It's 2 in the afternoon.' He said. 'You were exhausted from yesterday so you slept the night and most of today through. Bianca told me what happened. Why did you let her drag you into such danger?'

I scowled. 'You might be able to stop her crazy ideas but most of us can't. Besides, we're fine. Where's Bianca?'

'Woke up about two hours earlier. Went to explore the city by herself.' He sighed. 'I have a feeling I'll get a call to help her since she'll probably get lost.'

I giggled. It would be like Bianca to do that. My stomach suddenly growled. 'I'm starving.' I got up, noticing I slept in my clothes. I sighed. 'Guess I don't need to change. What are you going to do now?'

Cheren shrugged. 'Prepping to leave tomorrow. I got what I wanted.'

I nodded. 'Congratulations by the way.'

'Are you challenging the gym?'

'Nope.' I fixed myself up a bit. 'I'm gonna get some food. Coming?'

He shook his head. 'I've already eaten.'

'Ok.' I headed out and found a fast food outlet to eat at. I let out my three Pokémon and got them something to eat as well. While eating my burger, I kept my eye on Tory, making sure he didn't cause too much mischief like stealing the other Pokémon's food. When he tried to take Zara's he got a Scratch in return so he behaved himself. After I'd eaten two burgers I sighed in satisfaction. 'Man. I shouldn't have eaten so much. No doubt it's terrible for me.' I sat for a bit, digesting my meal.

'Ah, it's you!' The cry made everyone pause and look. To my surprise it was Burgh and he was pointing at me. 'White, isn't it?'

I nodded. 'Hi Burgh. How are you?'

'No time for pleasantries. Come with me!' He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away. My Pokémon hurried after me as I ran alongside him.

'Where are we going?' I asked, quickly returning Zara and Triton to their Pokéballs. Wanting to stay out, Tory floated to my shoulder.

'I got a report that Team Plasma showed up in Castelia City.' He said, hurrying along. 'You helped beat them before, so I could do with your help. We're headed to Prime Pier right now.'

'Team Plasma? What's going on?' I quickened my pace.

'I got a call saying that Team Plasma stole a trainer's Pokémon.' He said shortly. 'That's all the details I know. We'll find out more when we get to Prime Pier.' We rushed down to the docks, Burgh leading the way to Prime Pier. I saw bushy purple hair and a pink outfit when he called out, 'Iris!'

Bushy hair turned around, to reveal a girl, a few years older than me, with dark skin. 'Burgh, you came so quickly!'

When she turned around though, we saw the girl who had been standing behind her crying. 'Bianca?' I sprinted over.

'Oh White!' I quickly gave her a hug to comfort her. 'Munny! They took Munny! Team Plasma said I was cruel to use her yesterday, to put other people to sleep.'

I growled, remembering the grunt's grin. 'He must've called someone and got his team mates to take revenge.' I muttered. 'What about your other Pokémon?'

'Oh, I was at the Battle Company. The rest of them are at the Pokémon Centre healing up. I didn't use Munny so we decided to go look at the ocean while we waited.' She broke into sobs.

'What happened?' Burgh asked Iris.

'I heard Bianca scream and ran after the thief as fast as I could. But this city is so big and crowded, I lost them.' Iris stamped her foot in frustration.

'You did what you could.' Burgh told Iris.

'But stealing other people's Pokémon! How could they?' She looked mad.

'We'll get that Pokémon back.' Burgh said confidently. 'Right, White?'

I nodded. 'Absolutely. I promise I'll get Munny back somehow Bianca.' I told my friend. She nodded, her tears lessening.

'Iris, you stay by Bianca's side. We'll go after Team Plasma.' Burgh said. Iris nodded. After saying goodbye to Bianca, I followed Burgh into the streets of Castelia. 'Of course, finding a person in this city is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.'

'So what are we going to do then?' I demanded.

He sighed. 'I'm not quite sure yet.'

* * *

><p><em>Thanks to those who reviewed! (It's so exciting!) I have a few things to say:<em>

_LilPurrfection: Obviously, this chapter answered your query. _

_lemonadepanda: I'm glad you like this story enough to keep reading! As for White's mother, I'm glad I didn't give her away. I don't plan to reveal who she exactly is until towards the end of the story but I'll keep dropping hints along the way. You'll have heaps of time to figure it out! _

_Guardian54: Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of Victini either. But I'm not exactly sticking with the only 4 moves allowed thing and he does have an important role later on. Haha, I know I gave it away that she would get Victini but as the last chapter has less action than this one and the two to follow, I thought it would be a good place to cut it as a lead up. It was originally attached to this chapter but I made my decision at the end. _

_I don't have much to say on this chapter. I'm having a lot more fun writing the Castelia chapters than I expected though, so hopefully faster updates. Thanks for reading guys and please review!_


	13. Tracking a Psychic

_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon_

_NOTE: Oops! I realised in one of my earlier chapters Crossings White said that Black was her twin brother. That is incorrect! Sorry about that! I originally had them as twins when I first thought of this story but that changed. So yeah, please note: Black is White's **olde**__**r**__** brother. **I've gone back and fixed that up._

**Chapter 13: Tracking a Psychic**

* * *

><p>It turned out our temporary plan was to wander the streets of Castelia for a while, asking around if people had seen anyone dressed in bad medieval costumes. It wasn't the most brilliant of plans considering the size of the city and the sheer amount of people. As a result I was steadily getting more impatient.<p>

When we entered Central Plaza for the fourth time, I exploded. 'Oh come on! Surely there's something else we can do other than walk around! It's been hours! They could've left the city by now!' I don't normally loose my temper but because Bianca has such a positive outlook on life, it takes a lot to make her cry. Even more so than making her mad. And Team Plasma had successfully done both since we started our journey.

Burgh bit his lip. 'Castelia is such a big city and we don't really have any leads to go on. There's nothing much else we can do. I do know they haven't left the city.'

'How?' I demanded. Tory whimpered a little at my tone.

'After I found out it was Team Plasma I made a call to the city gates. They're all on the lookout for the uniform Team Plasma wears. They'll call the moment they catch sight of anyone and so far, they haven't.' He gave me a sympathetic look. 'We're bound to come across them. Try to be patient.'

We continued to search until the early hours in the morning. At about two thirty, Burgh sent me back to the hotel to catch some sleep. 'Castelia City may be a city that never sleeps but you need your rest, as do I. I'll call if I get any news.'

With a depressed heart I headed back to the hotel. I came in the room quietly. Bianca was asleep but I could tell she was having bad dreams, the way she was whimpering and tossing in her sleep. Cheren, who was sitting by her bed and guarding her, looked up when I came in. One look at his face and I knew Bianca had already told him. I shook my head and he scowled, clenching his fists in anger. I sat next to him and quietly updated him on mine and Burgh's search. 'What about Bianca's other Pokémon?' I asked after I finished my story.

Cheren sighed. 'She called me after you left. I picked up her Pokémon and brought them to her and Iris. Bianca tried getting Lilli to sniff out Munny but Lilli couldn't handle all the smells in the city. They're in her bag at the moment.'

'Iris?'

'Said she'd come back in the morning and stay with Bianca since she doesn't know the city too well and I'll join the search tomorrow.' Cheren pushed his glasses up. 'If only Team Plasma had taken Munny while she was in her Pokéball.'

I raised an eyebrow. 'Why?'

'Well, if you know exactly which Pokémon you're looking for, we could've tracked the registration code of Munny's Pokéball. If they passed by any sort of scanner-and most places have them, in case anyone tries to steal, they can track the trainer through their Pokémon-it would've registered and been sent to a database. But since Bianca still has Munny's Pokéball, we have to find Munny herself.'

I closed my eyes. 'We need some sort of Munna Dowsing Machine.'

'A what?'

'You know, a Dowsing Machine. An Itemfinder. It's a machine designed to help a trainer find hidden items. It's programmed to scan for certain things trainers might need; you know, potions, evolution stones, mushrooms for money, all sorts of things. We need one of those but programmed to find Munna. There can't be that many in this city considering their habitat is the Dreamyard.' I vaguely realised I was rambling.

'That would require scanning for a signature brainwave created by Munna or something. I don't think…that's…'

After a moment of silence I opened my eyes, wondering why Cheren stopped talking. He was frowning, obviously thinking about something. 'What?'

He shook his head. 'Nothing.' He looked over. 'You look exhausted. Go to sleep. You need energy if you're going to try and find Munny tomorrow.'

'And you don't?' He startled me when he got up suddenly, moving to the door. 'Where are you going?'

'I plan to go to bed after I make a phone call. Go to sleep.' With that he left.

I gaped at the door for a moment. Tory, who had been on my shoulder the whole time, flew over to my bed and flopped down on it. I yawned and changed quickly, falling into my bed next to him.

* * *

><p><em>Before I was nine, my closest friends were Black and Em. Mum and Dad weren't too social so I knew few other people our age, beyond those at school and even then I wasn't too close with them. So I had no idea what to do when Mum and I moved to Unova. <em>

_Three days after we had moved in our new home in Nuvema Town and I still hadn't made friends. I was in my room when a Pidove flew through my open window. I looked up from where I was reading on my bed to see it go crashing into my bookshelf. It proceeded to fall to the ground where several items I hadn't bothered to unpack properly fell on top of it. _

_Scrambling up I could see it had been knocked unconscious. After freeing it from the pile, I took it to Mum's supplies of potions for her Pokémon. Spraying one, it flapped feebly back into consciousness. 'Come on, let's get you back home.' _

_Mum had gone out for the day but she had left Qilin to help take care of me. As I carried the weakened Pidove down the stairs, Qilin, who was resting on the floor, looked up. I quickly explained that I wanted to get it back home. Qilin nodded and got up, following me out of the house. I wasn't sure where to go when I went out the house so I decided to visit Professor Juniper, the only person I knew in the town besides Mum. _

_Professor Juniper was busy but could spare enough time to tell me that the Pidove probably came from a flock that lived in the bushes off of Route 1. She said with Qilin to protect me, I should be able to get it back to its flock easily. I left, following the signs to Route 1, Qilin still following me. When we came close I began hearing two voices. _

'_Come on Cheren! Let's check it out!' _

'_No way. We're not allowed. It's too dangerous without Pokémon.' _

'_Please!' _

'_No.' _

'_Then I'm going alone.' _

'_Oh no you aren't!' _

'_Let me go! I just wanna see what it's like!' _

_Turning the corner I saw two people my age. A girl and boy. The girl had long blonde hair and bright green eyes, the boy had black hair and blue eyes, which were hidden behind glasses. It looked like the girl wanted to go into the long grass and the boy had grabbed her arm to stop her. Even then you could tell what their personalities were like. _

_As I walked up the girl looked at me and then gasped, running up to Qilin. 'Is that your Pokémon?' She asked excitedly. _

'_No. She's my mum's.' I said quietly. _

'_That's so cool!' The girl yelled. She reached up to stroke Qilin. _

'_Bianca, did you ask?' The boy came scowling. _

_She grinned. 'I'm sure she won't mind.' She turned to me. 'Do you…umm….What's your name?' _

_I hesitated. 'White.' _

'_I'm Bianca.' She said unnecessarily. She pointed to the boy. 'And that's Cheren.' _

_He nodded. 'You and your mum just moved to Nuvema, right?' I nodded. 'I'm living in the house next to yours.' _

_Bianca gasped dramatically. 'So you're our new neighbours! Mum said I should let you get settled before I could meet you. How old are you?' Before I could reply the Pidove in my arms gave a little squawk, reminding us of its existence. Bianca looked at it curiously. 'Why do you have a Pidove?' _

'_It got injured so I'm taking it back home.' I replied. _

_Bianca pointed into the grass. 'In there?' _

'_I think so. That's what Professor Juniper said anyway.' _

'_You know Professor Juniper?' Cheren asked curiously. _

'_Can we go with you?' Bianca asked eagerly. 'I want to see some wild Pokémon but we can't go in without Pokémon. If we go with you, your Pokémon can protect us!' _

_I was taken aback. 'Wha-'_

'_Come on, let's go!' Bianca headed towards the grass. _

_Cheren ran after her. 'Wait, White hasn't said yes!' _

_I looked at Pidove who didn't look like it cared and then at Qilin, who simply snorted. I shrugged and headed after them, where I could hear Cheren yelling, 'Bianca, we have to stick with White! She's the one with the Pokémon!' _

_We eventually got Pidove back home, after many a detour led by Bianca. Qilin didn't even need to battle, as she simply intimidated any wild Pokémon that ventured close. When we got back to Nuvema Town, Bianca's dad had a freak out about his little girl in the wild, though her mother was content, reassured by my mum and Professor Juniper that Qilin was perfectly capable of taking care of three young children. The next day Bianca and Cheren came over to play and we were friends ever since._

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning to Cheren shaking me awake. Looking at my Xtransceiver I scowled to see the time was 6:30am. Tired as I was, I got myself up and ready. Cheren, despite the lack of sleep, seemed alert and ready. I scowled. Cheren and Bianca had little in common but one thing they did have in common was that they were both morning people. Sure, it was shown in different ways; Cheren was alert and thinking the moment he woke up and Bianca bounced out of bed but I was the only one who was grumpy in the mornings.<p>

Speaking of Bianca I looked over to see her deeply asleep, though there was still a frown on her face. I walked over to her, grasping her hand. 'We'll get her back somehow.' I promised.

There was a light knock on the door. Cheren opened it to reveal Iris. 'Morning.' She said. I nodded my greeting as Cheren quickly explained that Bianca was still asleep and it was probably better to leave her be than wake her up. Iris nodded. 'I'll wait until she wakes up and then I'll take her out so she doesn't feel so helpless.'

'Thanks Iris.' Cheren and I echoed. Tory, who had woken with Iris' entrance, leapt onto my shoulders, and we headed out. We hit early morning traffic. Since we were going by foot, it was slightly easier, but it meant our time was delayed. It took us over an hour to get to the gym, where a line of disgruntled trainers waited out front, where one of Burgh's trainers was taking names down.

Since we weren't here on gym business we went straight to the front. When we tried to enter though, one of the trainers in line yelled at us to stop. Looking behind, I sighed. 'We should've just ignored him.' I muttered.

The angry trainer was pointing at us. 'Oi, no cutting! Get in line!'

'We're not here for a gym battle.' I said. 'We've got an appointment with Burgh.'

'Ha!' He sneered. 'Like I'm gonna believe that! I'm not going to stand here and let some newbies wander into the gym in front of me.' Many of the trainers murmured in agreement.

Cheren rolled his eyes. He pulled out his badge case, flipping it open. 'I've already won the Insect Badge. Why would I need to battle Burgh again?' Most of the murmuring quietened.

Not the angry trainer though. He pointed at me. 'But what about you? Have you got a gym badge?'

'Well no but-'

'Ha! See! It was a ploy so your friend could cut in line!' He accused us.

'Actually, Mr Burgh is waiting to meet two trainers for important business today.' The trainer taking the names said.

'I don't care! You don't get to see Burgh until you've gotten past me!' The angry trainer jumped out of line.

'Since when do you set the rules?' I asked. I was getting impatient. This conversation was wasting time. 'Look, I'm not travelling to challenge gyms.'

'I challenge you to a one-on-one battle!'

'A Pokémon battle?' I exploded. 'That's how you want to settle this? What part of 'I'm not here to challenge gyms', do you not understand?'

'White, we're wasting time.' Cheren muttered, eyeing the trainer in dislike.

'Are you a coward?'

I was tired, anxious, stressed, worried and impatient, and I had been since yesterday. I don't think anyone can blame me for snapping. 'Fine. Let's get this over with.' I snarled.

He grinned. 'Come on out, my ace!'

I prepared myself as he threw out a Pokéball. Out came a Pokémon that wasn't native to Unova. Most of the trainers were murmuring in shock as they tried to figure out what it was.

I admit I had gotten lucky learning from a breeding centre as well as two Professors. I wasn't thinking rationally though and I exploded at the sight. 'A Shedinja? Seriously? Here I was expecting something absolutely fantastic but you send out a Shedinja!' The trainer, who had been looking cocky before, now looked nervous that I knew what as Shedinja was. He was obviously ignorant of other Pokémon since Tory sat on my shoulders, clearly able to defeat Shedinja with his fire capabilities. 'Let's go Tory!' There was a pause. I looked at Tory who simply shook his head. 'Seriously? Fine, Zara, come out!'

Zara came out of her Pokéball and roared. The trainer broke out into a sweat at the sight of her flaming tail. 'Zara, Ember!'

'Ah! Shedinja, Silver Wind!'

Silver Wind did hit Zara and while it caused a little damage, it also made her mad. She went right up to the Pokémon and spat flames into its face. Shedinja instantly fainted. There were a couple of snickers from the line of waiting trainers as the trainer returned the Pokémon to its ball. He scowled. 'If you didn't have type advantage-'

'If I didn't have type advantage I never would've won.' I cut in. 'I know about the Wonder Guard ability. So don't start.'

He flushed and opened his mouth to say more when another voice cut in. 'She's right you know. You can't send in a Shedninja and complain about type advantage.' We turned to see Burgh coming out of the gym. He turned to us. 'Cheren, White. Are you ready to start looking?'

I nodded but Cheren shook his head. 'Actually, we need to wait for someone.'

Burgh looked confused. 'Who?'

'He's waiting for me!'

Everyone looked up to see a Swanna gently preparing to land. I recognised the person on the Pokémon. 'Professor Fennel?'

The Swanna landed. 'I can see you weren't expecting me White.' Professor Fennel said, jumping off. She began untying boxes she had strapped to the Swanna. 'Help me carry this inside will you? I need to set it up.'

I turned to Cheren who nodded. 'I'll explain inside.' I frowned but picked up a box and turned towards the gym.

'I'm sorry about the delay and I'll attend to you as soon as possible.' Burgh told the line of waiting trainers before picking up a box and leading the way inside the gym. When we were inside he took us to a transporter, zooming us into an inner room. He put down the box. 'You can set whatever this is up in here Professor Fennel. Now, Cheren, please explain.'

As Professor Fennel opened up boxes and brought strange items out Cheren began talking. 'I got the idea when we were talking last night White. We don't have any leads right? So why don't we track Munny through her signature dream mist? I mean, she's out of her Pokéball right? So there's nothing to stop us finding her.'

'You didn't take my idea for a Munna dowsing machine seriously, did you?' I said blankly.

'It's better than nothing. So I contacted the expert of Munna and the Dream Mist, Professor Fennel.' Cheren looked smug.

'Is it possible Professor Fennel?' Burgh asked.

She looked up from where she was building her machine. 'I can't guarantee anything. It's true that Munna have a distinct brainwave pattern due to the emission of Dream Mist but one Munna won't have a very strong signature in a place like this. However, I believe with my research, and some help from Amanita, that we've built a machine that can help track down Munny.'

'How does it work?' Burgh went over for a closer look.

'Hold this.' I was surprised as Professor Fennel shoved a Dowsing Machine into my hands. 'I'm setting up a machine here that focuses on the Munna Dream Mist. The dowsing machine has been altered to track down Pokémon signatures. By sending the information the Dowsing Machine receives back to the machine here, the machine will run it against the information it holds about Dream Mist and send the info back to the Dowsing Machine if it matches Munna. It'll beep and get louder as you get closer to the location.'

I looked blankly at the machine in my hands but Burgh nodded in approval. Cheren too, looked impressed. I shrugged. I supposed there was no point questioning it if I didn't understand it. 'So when can we start?'

'I'm almost done.' After about ten more minutes of tinkering Professor Fennel announced she was finished. 'Now, I have to stay here to monitor the machine. Give me your numbers so we can contact each other if something comes up.'

After exchanging numbers we left the gym. The line of trainers was still there, though they now contained different faces. Ignoring them we headed back over to Castelia Street, starting the search all over again.

The frustrating thing was that we went down up and down several streets, always arriving back at the Central Plaza, without a single beep from the Dowsing Machine. It was hard not to break the thing in anger. Now it was evening and we knew we had to call the search off soon. 'Why isn't it working?' I thrust the machine into Cheren's hands before I broke it.

'We have to have patience.' Burgh said calmly.

Cheren sighed. 'Still, I was hoping for better results than this today.'

'Poor Bianca…' I whispered. Tory flew from my shoulders into my arms, trying to comfort me. I gave him a weak smile.

'What's up White?'

We turned to see three dancers approach us. 'Mickey! Edmond! Raymond!' These were the dancers I had helped become a troupe when I had first arrived in Castelia City. 'What are you doing here?'

Mickey, the head of the troupe, raised an eyebrow. 'Practising like we do every evening. You've seen us before.'

I shook my head to clear it. 'That's right. Sorry, not thinking straight.'

'Why are you so down?' Edmond asked.

I gave a sigh. 'I don't suppose you seen people in a medieval knight costume or a Munna have you?' I asked hopelessly.

'Well, yeah, actually we have.'

'What?' Burgh, Cheren and I yelled at the same time.

They winced. 'About an hour ago.' Raymond said. 'A Munna came flying into Central Plaza and some guy was chasing after it. He grabbed it and ran back down into Gym Street. We didn't see them that well so we thought they were playing.'

Burgh paled. 'Did you say Gym Street?' They nodded. 'Come on.' He began striding towards the street. I could hear him muttering under his breath, no doubt mad about Team Plasma being on the same street as him.

'But if we were on Gym Street before, how come the Dowsing Machine didn't pick up the signature?' Cheren asked, hurrying after Burgh.

'I dunno.' I replied shortly, this time not because I was mad, but because I was struggling to keep up with Burgh. I saw the dance troupe following us. 'Why are you here?'

Mickey shrugged. 'He said come,' gesturing towards Burgh. Unlike me and Cheren, they had no problem keeping up.

'Did you find something?' I looked over to see Cheren had called Professor Fennel.

'We have a clue that they might be on Gym Street. If they we there, how come the Dowsing Machine didn't pick up the signature?' Cheren asked.

'I was afraid of that.' I heard her sigh. 'Considering we just built it last night, Amanita and I were worried that it might not have that big of a range. You might have to get really close for it to pick up anything. But if the Munna is on a higher level as well, that may be an issue due to distance.'

'Thanks for the warning Professor.' Cheren hung up.

'What if it doesn't work?' I asked.

'We search each building, one by one.' Cheren said firmly.

We headed up and down Gym Street, twice. The machine refused to go off. Cheren was about to start searching each building at a time until Burgh pointed out that if we were to do that, we needed to search each floor, as some buildings held several companies. We ended up on the street end connecting to Central Plaza. 'Now what?' Cheren turned to Burgh.

He sighed. 'I'm not sure. Give me a moment to think.'

Sitting on a bench, I cuddled Tory. I finally gave the dance troupe that had been following us the reason for our search. Edmond sighed. 'That's a big ask, finding one Psychic Pokémon in this city.'

I put my cap on Tory's head. 'You found me.' I whispered to him. 'I don't suppose you could find Munny.' I closed my eyes in exhaustion.

I sudden yelp made me open them again. Tory had used his psychic powers to take the Dowsing Machine off Cheren. It floated into my lap. 'Tory…' I started saying warningly before Tory jumped on my lap as well. He grasped the two prongs of the Dowsing Machine and began glowing. The machine suddenly gave a weak beep.

We all gaped. Cheren's Xtransceiver rang. 'What's going on?' Professor Fennel asked. 'The waves from the Dowsing Machine just got stronger.'

'Professor,' Cheren said slowly. 'I think White's Victini is using his psychic powers to enhance the abilities of your machine. Is that even possible?'

'It's not proven, no. But the world of Pokémon is still shrouded in much mystery.' Professor replied thoughtfully.

I jumped up, carefully carrying both Dowsing Machine and Tory. 'Doesn't matter right now. Let's go find Munny!'

We raced down Gym Street, the machine beeping louder and more frequently until we arrive at a building across from the gym itself. 'I guess they're in there.' Mickey said.

'Across from my own gym!' Burgh said indignantly.

'I don't think we'll be getting in anytime soon.' Cheren said. 'The doors look pretty secure.' Indeed, they were extremely high tech and didn't look penetrable anytime soon.

'So we have to lure them out.' Burgh said firmly.

'How do we do that?' I asked the gym leader. He shrugged, no bright ideas coming to him.

'Leave that to us.' Raymond said. We turned to the Dance troupe to see them taking out their Xtransceivers and beginning to send out messages. 'Do you have access to the speakers?'

'What speakers?' Cheren and I chorused.

'You mean the street ones?' Burgh asked. Raymond nodded. I looked up to see speakers on the lampposts I hadn't noticed the whole time I was here. It would explain the music playing in the background. I had simply assumed that it was coming from shops. 'Yeah, I have access to this street from the gym.'

'Good.' Raymond handed a CD over. 'When I give you the signal, can you start playing track 5 over them, really loudly?'

'I guess…'

'That's all you need to do.' Mickey grinned over at us. 'We'll draw them out, provide a distraction while you go in and kick butt.'

About an hour later, as everyone began getting released from work, the street filled up and Cheren, Burgh and I were still waiting. Burgh had given the CD to one of his gym trainers and had them on the line, ready to play the track at his call. Mickey, Raymond and Edmond had disappeared about five minutes ago. I jumped as my Xtransceiver received a message. I nodded to Burgh, getting confirmation to begin from Raymond. In turn, Burgh called the trainer in his gym, who picked up instantly. 'Play it.'

Music blared from the speakers, making some people stop and stare in confusion at the speakers, though others continued walking. I made a face when I saw the dance troupe dancing in the middle of the street. As much as I admired them, it wasn't much of a diversion, considering that only some people stopped as others continued walking. I was surprised when about ten others jumped in, joining them, with more and more people slowing jumping into join them dancing. Now everyone in the crowd had stopped and were watching.

Burgh gave a chuckle. 'A flash mob huh?' Now half the street had joined in. I watched in amazement as they all danced together. How did you even organise this sort of thing? Burgh tugged my arm. 'Look.' I looked over to see the door of the building had opened. Three Plasma members had stepped out, curious to see what was happening in the street. They had also left the door wide open.

Without a word the three of us ran up to face them. They nearly jumped back in shock as we popped up in front of their faces. 'No one's here! No Team Plasma, no sages!' One of them yelled in panic. I heard Cheren snicker behind me. 'Don't believe me? Fine, let's battle!'

We took one each. Triton smashed the two Sandile he sent out easily and I turned to see Cheren and Burgh had also finished their battles. '!' The three grunts freaked out and ran back into the building, shutting the doors behind them.

'How are we supposed to get in now?' I demanded.

'Relax White.' Burgh turned to his Pokémon, a Butterfree. 'I already thought of the possibility so I had Belle here use Thief.' He took something from the Butterfree's hand, revealing a keycard. 'No problem.'

'Did we make it?'

We turned to see Iris and Bianca managing to push through the crowds to us. It seemed the flash mob was still going. Burgh had called Iris and told her what was going on an hour ago. Bianca was looking pale but stubborn.

'We're about to head in now.' Burgh went to the door and slid the keycard in the slot. It slid neatly open. 'Let's go.'

We hurried in after Burgh to see a lobby full of Team Plasma grunts. Burgh's Butterfree, Cheren's Pidove and Triton were at the ready, to battle anyone foolish enough to come near us. Iris was clutching a Pokéball in her hands while Bianca stood behind her, her hand near one of her own Pokéballs. The grunts parted ways to reveal three older men, dressed in brightly coloured robes. I recognised the middle one as Ghetsis.

'Well if it isn't Gym Leader Burgh.' Ghetsis opened his arms, as if welcoming us.

'What would be the principle of Team Plasma? Take what you want from people?' Burgh sneered at him.

'I'm sorry. I thought preparing a hideout in front of the gym would be amusing.' The man to the right of Ghetsis said. 'We were found more quickly than I thought.'

Ghetsis shrugged. 'No matter. Our main base of operations still functions perfectly well.' He looked at us. 'You are familiar with the legend surrounding the founding of Unova, yes?' Everyone nodded except for me. I had no idea what they were talking about but I wasn't going to give the satisfaction to Ghetsis. 'Yes, the White Dragon and the Hero, seeking an ideal world, led the people of this land and created Unova. By bringing back the Dragon and the Hero we can create a world that Team Plasma dreams of!'

'That's not exactly how the legend goes…' Iris muttered behind me.

Burgh was speaking over her though. 'In Castelia City we have all sorts of different people, living different lives. Your reasoning doesn't make sense because, no matter how different we are, we all care about Pokémon. It's something we in common we all share. You speak of helping Pokémon reach their full potential? You're right. I'll be dedicating myself even more to my Pokémon from now on.'

Ghetsis chuckled, sending a shiver down my spine. 'You are a clever man, Gym Leader Burgh. I enjoy the company of clever men. In fact, I have gathered six others, to help guide our king, myself included. You may know us as the Seven Sages.' He considered us for a moment. 'Very well, we shall you city for the moment. You there!' He barked, making a grunt jump in surprise. 'Return that girl's Pokémon.'

The grunt grumbled and opened the bag he carried. Out floated Munny who immediately went to Bianca, who cuddled the Pokémon close. 'Thank you.' She said to the man through her tears of relief.

'Don't thank them Bianca!' Iris cried. 'They stole her in the first place.'

Bianca sobbed. 'I…I'm just happy…that Munny's safe.'

I couldn't help grinning. Good old Bianca. 'Your name is White I believe?' I jumped and looked at Ghetsis suspiciously. 'I have heard that you have had several encounters with some of our more extreme members. I must apologise for that. They give us a bad name. Please understand that our organisation is peaceful and mean no harm.'

I gulped in nervousness but stood tall. 'I'll believe it when I see it.' I said in a low voice.

He smiled. 'Farewell then.' With that, Team Plasma left.

Iris turned to Burgh. 'Why are you letting them get away?' Cheren nodded in agreement.

'Sometimes it's better not to test dangerous men.' Burgh said in a low voice.

'It's ok Iris. I got my Pokémon back and no one got hurt!' Bianca said brightly. Iris looked unsure but she dropped the subject.

'But…' Cheren still remained unconvinced.

'Cheren, as trainers sometimes we have to know when it's best not to fight.' I said quietly.

Cheren opened his mouth to argue back but Burgh nodded in agreement. 'White's right, you know. Come on, let's leave this place. We have to thank Professor Fennel for her help. And Tory as well.' He reached over and gave Tory an affection pat on the head.

Cheren sighed. He took the Dowsing Machine off me. 'Here, I'll take it back to her.' He took it and left.

'What do you plan to do?' I asked Bianca.

She looked hesitant. 'I want to keep looking around Castelia but after what happened, I'm a little nervous…'

Before I could say anything Iris jumped in. 'I'll stay with you and be your bodyguard!'

Bianca looked unsure but Burgh nodded. 'Iris is a very capable trainer. You'll be fine with her. She's not quite familiar with the big city yet so maybe you could help her?'

'Yeah, let's go!' Iris dragged Bianca out despite her weak protests.

I raised my eyebrows. I didn't think anyone could match Bianca in stubborn impulsiveness but Iris certainly gave her a run for her money. 'Thanks for helping Burgh. I'm sorry for being a pain while searching.'

He laughed. 'You were just concerned for you friend and her Pokémon. I understand perfectly. I'll be seeing you at the gym, yes?'

I shook my head. 'Actually, I'm not planning on battling the gyms.'

He looked confused. 'But I know you have the Basic Badge and the Trio Badge. Lenora and Cilan told me.'

I gave a weak chuckled. 'I sort of got manipulated into the gym battles both times. No offence Burgh, but I'm not interested in gym battles. I'm fine with normal trainer battles but I'm not looking to enter the League.'

Burgh frowned but then brightened. 'Alright then. White, I challenge you to a battle!'

'Wha-?' I was confused by his sudden enthusiasm.

'You don't plan on challenging me for a badge right? But ever since I saw how determined you were in Nacrene City when you were chasing Team Plasma I couldn't wait to battle you. That desire has grown when I saw how much you care for your friends and for Pokémon. The qualities you have, well, you can't find it in many trainers.'

I blushed at his words. I couldn't help it. 'Thanks but-'

'No buts.' He smiled. 'I want a battle with you, to see the connection between you and your Pokémon. So, instead of you challenging me, I'm challenging you. I'm asking you to accept.'

I sighed but grinned. 'I guess I can't say no.'

He laughed. 'Thank you very much! We won't battle right now. You look exhausted and our Pokémon aren't necessarily at the peak of their health. Can you come to the gym tomorrow morning at 7am? I'll be taking gym battles after that but I would like to be selfish and battle you first.'

I nodded. 'I'll see you then.'

'I can't wait for our battle!' Burgh exclaimed.

* * *

><p><em>I'm sorry for the late update! Whenever I think I have heaps of time, bam! My life becomes hectic. Well, I'm sure if you've stuck with me up until this point, you realise I'm pretty irregular with updating. <em>

_So this chapter: not much action in terms of battling but definitely an important appearance of Team Plasma! Of course, you definitely will get a battle with the next chapter with the gym battle. But of course, with White not wanting to battle gyms, I hope you liked how I manage to manipulate her into one this time! I'm glad this is the last one considering it's Nimbasa after this. It'll be so much easier to get her into gym battles. I was running out of ideas on how she would get the badges to qualify for the league._

_Not much else I can say on this chapter. No flashbacks about White's family or past, but I hope you enjoyed the interaction between Cheren, Bianca and White. Thank you for reading and please review! _


	14. Bug Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

_Eheheh...so...it's been a while (hides away in shame). Not the greatest chapter name either but I'm honestly just glad to have this chapter up. Well, here goes!_

**Chapter 14: Bug Battle**

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><p>I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. After agreeing to a battle with Burgh I went straight back to our hotel room where I collapsed straight away. Sleeping off the exhaustion and stress, I was the first to wake the next morning; probably the first time that's ever happened. Leaving a note explaining that I was leaving (and my share of money and a bit extra for the hotel room-my wallet was a whole lot lighter after it) I headed to the gym. Compared to the line that was there yesterday morning, it was really quiet.<p>

Walking in, I managed to surprise a yawning Clyde. 'Oh! Good morning! The gym isn't open yet and if you want a battle, you'll have to put your name on the waiting list.'

'Um…I have a battle scheduled with Burgh.' His statement had put me off. 'My name is White.'

He brightened. 'Of course! He's in his battle stage. I'll get Cameron to show you the way.' He went off to make the call, leaving me patting Tory (who was once again on my shoulders).

Cameron, who was a girl and wearing an eccentric clown costume, came up smiling. 'Come on, this way. We've activated the gym challenge so the transporter will only activate if you have the Insect Badge. We have to go through the gym.'

I walked into the gym to see a wall of dripping honey. I could just see a corridor leading further into the gym, no doubt part of the gym challenge. 'There is no way I'm going through there.' I said firmly. I was not getting myself covered in honey for any reason.

Cameron simply laughed. 'No need to worry about that.' She went up to a painting on the wall next to the honeyed walls and opened it, revealing a hole in the wall we proceeded to climb through. 'We gym trainers go walking through the gym all the time and you don't see us covered in honey.'

After walking through a series of holes hidden by paintings we reached a set of stairs. Cameron nodded at them. 'Burgh's at the top. Good luck.' And she left.

I headed up the stairs to find a grinning Burgh. 'Morning White. Feeling refreshed?'

I nodded. 'I am, thanks. Especially considering I didn't have to go through the honey. Should you really be showing me the secret passage you and the trainers in this gym use?'

Burgh laughed, eyes twinkling. 'It's not meant to be a secret. If the challengers find the passage they are more than welcome to use it. But they take one look at the honey and just assume that's the only way through. Not my fault if they decide not to look around.' I frowned. Surely someone would've checked, just in case? Burgh laughed at my expression. 'Clyde may say something at the beginning of each challenge that may lead the trainer to think that it's the only way.'

I thought for a moment. 'Has anyone ever found the passage?'

Burgh grinned. 'One person did a year back but that's because their Blitzle's Shock Wave caused one of the paintings which hadn't been closed properly to swing open. He decided that, since he was already covered in honey from one walk through, he might as well go through the rest rather than waste time finding the doors.'

'I can't imagine too many trainers being too happy with you.' I suddenly had a thought and giggled. 'I would've loved to see Cheren's face when he went through.'

'He was pretty amusing, though I've had many an interesting reaction.' Burgh smiled. 'Now, onto business. Thank you for agreeing to this battle. You have three Pokémon, yes? So why don't we have a three-on-three?'

I nodded. 'Sounds good to me.'

'Pete, go!'

'Zara!' Zara roared as she came out of her Pokéball. Burgh's Whirlipede looked unaffected by the sound, though it was a little difficult to tell. I didn't hesitate in taking the initiative. 'Flame Charge!'

Zara covered herself in flames and dashed towards Whirlipede. The Pokémon didn't move, letting Zara get close. 'Pete, use Poison Tail!' Zara landed a decent hit but with her proximity, Pete managed a pretty good one of his own. Zara stumbled back, looking paler than before.

I cursed silently. Zara had been poisoned. What were the chances of that on the first hit? And chances were I would need her in later rounds. I took her Pokéball out. 'Take a rest for now.'

'Pursuit!' Just as Zara was about to return Pete managed to hit her , causing damage to her. I made a face at Burgh who simply shrugged. 'Taking initiative.' He said cheekily.

I rolled my eyes at his childish behaviour. 'Don't let me down Triton.' Out came my Dewott, ready to fight. 'Jump and use Razor Shell!'

'Poison Tail again!'

Triton jumped and hit first with Razor Shell. Watching carefully, I waited until the moment before impact before crying, 'Water Gun!' Only half of the Razor Shell landed while Triton threw out a Water Gun, the force pushing the Pokémon away from each other. While it lowered the damage caused by Razor Shell, the two attacks still did pretty well and Triton had avoided a hit by Pete. I grinned at the tired state of the Whirlipede. Zara's attack had hit pretty hard and Triton was adding to the damage. One more attack would end this round. 'Water Gun!'

'Struggle Bug!'

As Water Gun flew across the stadium, Pete struggled through it, enough to land a hit that caused Triton to stumble. However, Pete fainted at the end. Triton let out a victory cry.

Burgh returned Pete to his Pokéball. 'Good job.' He pulled another Pokéball out. 'Go Drew!' A Dwebble thudded onto the field.

I nodded towards Triton. 'Let's try the combo we used on Pete.' I said to him quietly. He nodded and prepared his scalchops, leaping off the ground.

'Drew, Smack Down!' Drew launched a rock at Triton, who fell at the weight of the rock, smashing into the ground just in front of Drew. 'Struggle Bug!' The move was a critical one, with Triton being so close.

'Pull back! Use Water Gun at the same time!' I cried, my stomach tightening with nerves. Triton rolled out from under Drew's attack and shot a Water Gun with running backwards. The attack, while strong, wasn't as effective as I'd hoped. I frowned.

'Struggle Bug lessens Special Attack.' Burgh smiled at me. 'Triton's Water Gun is weaker than before. Drew, Smack Down!'

Another rock flew at Triton, making him trip. I bit my lip. We needed to get close so Triton could use Razor Shell but Smack Down was doing a pretty good job at keeping Triton at a distance. 'Dodge!' I called as another rock flew at Triton. He leapt nimbly away but kept his distance. I smiled. 'Time to take advantage of Triton's agility. Prepare a Razor Shell and run straight at Drew!' Triton ran straight at the Dwebble, who launched another Smack Down. 'Hit the floor then run!' Triton hit the floor quickly, the Smack Down sailing uselessly above him. The moment the rock passed, Triton launched himself off the floor and landed a strong Razor Shell. 'One more!'

'Faint Attack!' Burgh called. As Triton raised his scalchop, Dwebble collapsed on the floor, making the Dewott hesitate. Drew hit Triton in the pause, causing him to retaliate with Razor Shell. Drew fainted but Triton was looking decidedly weaker. He went back over to my side of the battlefield. Burgh withdrew Drew. 'One more.' He smiled. 'Come out Vanny!'

A green Pokémon emerged from the ball. I took my Pokédex out. _Leavanny, The Nurturing Pokémon. Dual Bug and Grass Type._ I put it away. 'Triton, be careful. Try using Fury Cutter.'

Triton began to run forward. 'Vanny, Razor Leaf.' With a swarm of leaves, Triton was down. Burgh smiled. 'You'll find Vanny a lot harder to take down.'

I thought for a moment. A bug and grass type left it extremely weak to fire attacks. I could bring Zara out but Tory could probably do with the training. 'Ok, Tory, let's try your first battle.' There was a pause. I turned my head to face the Pokémon clinging to my shoulder. 'Hey, it's your turn.' Tory shook his head. I frowned. 'I understand why you wouldn't want to battle Team Plasma but it's Burgh we're talking about. It's a friendly match.'

Tory still shook his head, clinging to my shoulder. Burgh gave him a curious look. 'Is something wrong?' Tory tightened his grip.

I thought about him refusing to battle yesterday. 'You don't like battling?' He nodded his head. I thought for a moment. 'Ok, I can find you a trainer who just likes company.' He looked terrified and jumped on my head, gripping to edges of my hat extremely tightly. 'You still want to travel with me?' He nodded frantically. I gave him a smile. 'Relax. You can come travelling. There may be the occasional time you might have to battle but I'll never force you if you don't want to.' He gave a relieved cheer.

'Oh how splendid!' I turned back to Burgh to see him applauding, Vanny copying him. 'Instead of forcing your Pokémon to battle, you accept your friend as you wish! Such a pure heart! However, if Tory won't battle, we should end the match here since you only have two Pokémon that wish to battle. You win.'

He was handing me an easy victory. I sighed and shook my head. Curse that sense of honour that my family had instilled in me for Pokemon battles. 'No. We agreed on a three on three. It wouldn't be fair if we suddenly cut it short. Consider Tory a loss and I'm down to one Pokémon.'

'Are you sure?'

'Positive.' I sent out Zara, who glared at Vanny. 'Zara, Flame Charge!'

Zara ran forward. 'Don't let her get to close Vanny! Grass Knot!' Vanny gave a cry, glowing slightly green. Zara tripped hard on the ground. 'Follow it up with Energy Ball!' Vanny hit Zara with a green orb. Zara didn't suffer too badly but the poison worked its magic, leaving her a little weaker.

I bit my lip. 'Zara, burn those ties off with Ember! Then DragonRage!' She burned off the Grass Knot and threw off a powerful attack.

'Protect!' A shield stopped the attack from hitting Vanny. Burgh threw his hand forward. 'Jump close and use Struggle Bug!'

'Ember!' Vanny got in close and hit Zara. Zara managed to land a hit which really hurt Vanny but Zara's special attack was down. Grass Knot prevented any close attacks as well. The two Pokémon were eyeing each other off now. They were about equal in strength, with one more attack likely to knock them out but Zara was still poisoned, her health dropping fast.

Burgh broke the tension first. 'Use Protect and charge a Solarbeam behind it!'

I silently swore. Even though it was a grass type move, Solarbeam would still be strong. 'Zara, Flame Charge and just run anywhere! Don't bother going for Vanny yet!' Zara ran, heating up flames, building up speed. I eyed Vanny carefully, trying to judge when the Solarbeam would be ready. Just as it got blinding I yelled, 'Direct the flames to your feet and jump!' I prayed it would work as Solarbeam let loose.

For a moment we couldn't see, the power of the Solarbeam extremely strong. It faded quickly and, to my joy, Zara had avoided the attack by jumping high enough, powered by her flames. However, she twisted, muzzle first as she dropped, building up speed. As she dove towards the ground she seemed to disappear, before smashing into Vanny hard. The unsuspecting Leavanny fainted instantly. I gaped and pulled out my Pokédex. 'That's so cool Zara! You learnt Aerial Ace! I didn't even know non-flying Pokémon could learn that!' Zara looked extremely pleased with herself but I saw she was sweating. 'Right, back in the Pokéball. Then we'll head to the Pokémon Centre and get you healed up.' She went back in.

Burgh, who had already returned Vanny, came walking up. 'That was an inspiring battle. I'm glad you accepted my challenge. And you still beat me even though you weren't tired from having to face the other trainers.'

'It was fun.' I giggled. 'I'm actually kind of honoured that a gym leader thought well enough of me to challenge me to a battle.'

'Here.' Burgh held something out in his hand. I took it before realising it was a gym badge. As I opened my mouth to protest, Burgh put up a hand for silence. 'I know you weren't a gym challenger but I think you deserve it.'

'But-'

'What harm can it do?' Burgh smiled. 'Technically by beating me, you beat the gym leader. Anyway, one gym badge can't hurt right?'

I still had my hand held out. 'Still-'

He shrugged. 'How about I put it like this? I want you to have it. That way it shows everyone that I've acknowledged you as a trainer. I'm proud to have been beaten by you.'

I sighed and pulled my hand back in, badge resting safely in my palm. 'I guess I'll have to accept it then.'

He grinned. 'Excellent. Are you heading to Nimbasa City now?'

'It's next on the map.'

'Are you ready for the desert on Route 4?'

I hesitated. 'I think so. It shouldn't be too hard to get across right?'

'Not generally. But Route 4 is prone to random sandstorms so you have to be careful.' I hesitated. Burgh gave a smile. 'They're common enough that there are safety houses littered across Route 4 that you can hide in when the sandstorms hit. Just look for the small windmills built on top of houses or a picture of Tornadus. Safety houses use them as symbols.'

'Tornadus? What does it look like?' I may be familiar with Kanto/Johto Pokémon, and the occasional Hoenn or Sinnoh but I was still unfamiliar with many Unova ones.

Burgh gasped. 'Follow me!'

I followed Burgh into a hidden chamber further in the gym. It turned out to be an artist's studio, full of half-finished artworks and scribbles. Going to a pile Burgh pulled out a painting. 'I wasn't fully satisfied so I was going to try it again but this should give you an impression of how Tornadus looks.' He showed a painting full of clouds with purple and green hues. Big eyes stared out at me in one corner but the cyclone that was obviously brewing blurred the general outline of the face. 'Do you get the impression?'

Truthfully, I didn't. The abstract style of the artwork made it difficult to tell. But I simply nodded. 'Thanks Burgh.' Well, I could just look for the windmills if necessary.

As I headed towards the transporter, Burgh gave me a friendly clap on the shoulder. 'I hope we meet again.'

I grinned. 'Me too.' And he disappeared as I ended up at the entrance.

I quickly headed to the Pokémon Centre, healed my Pokémon and went to the North Gate. I was nervous. Mum and I had caught the bus from Castelia to get to White Forest that one time. The paths were unknown from here. I wondered if this was how Bianca and Cheren felt at Route 1.

Tory nudged me, making a questioning noise. I giggled and gave him a scratch. 'Just a bit nervous. But it's fine! Nimbasa City's the next stop. It can't nearly be as dramatic as Castelia was. I'm looking forward to it.'

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><p><em>The reason why it took so long for me to update was because I really struggled writing this chapter. I had no idea how to write this battle and make it interesting. I hope you enjoyed the gym battle in the end. I genuinely struggle to write the Pokemon battles for this story (which is why lots of them are cut out) but I'll try and write important ones in. Burgh was especially hard to write. Every time I battle him in the game I've had type advantage over him making it really easy. I didn't want to just thrash him though, so a little bit of drama added.<em>

_A pretty simple chapter all up. One of my shortest ones but there was no point going into the next area in this chapter. I think the only thing of significance here (other than getting the gym badge of course) is the fact that Tory doesn't like to battle-the purpose of which won't be revealed for a while._

_As for Route 4-why the safety houses? Logically, no one would walk through a desert in a sandstorm and frankly, the constant sandstorms in the deserts in the Pokemon games just confuse me. They've put in changing weather effects throughout the Unova region so why the sandstorm?_

_I'm actually getting excited. In a way, up until this point it was kind of a prologue. The plot that's been in my head that got me writing this story started from Nimbasa City. Just a little more until we get there and the ball can really get rolling. _

_And if you managed to get through all that, thanks for reading (both the chapter and my blabbering)! Hopefully I will have another chapter up faster than this one got up (but hey, once again, no promises!). Reviews would be much appreciated! (I would love to be able to improve my writing!)_


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